Wilmington committee seeks mission statement approval

Wednesday February 13, 2013

WILMINGTON -- The Long Term Community Recovery Steering Committee met on Monday, Feb. 11 to discuss its mission statement, which it hopes to get approved by the Selectboard on Feb. 20.

The mission statement reads, "The Long Term Community Recovery Steering Committee will be the support and entry point for recovery project volunteers to access town approval. Acting as a central clearing house, the LTCRS Committee will communicate the progress of existing and future recovery projects and regularly post reports. The LTCRS Committee will provide clear and functional ideas to assist our Selectboard in the coordination of a cohesive recovery plan. The LTCRS Committee will also guide our current volunteer efforts to deliver a solid starting point for professional planners."

"It should be a slam dunk at this point," said Town Manager Scott Murphy.
The committee was formed around November. It has been a topic at Selectboard meetings as to just what the committee will be responsible for.

After Tropical Storm Irene, when FEMA came to assist with projects, it had come to the attention of the Selectboard that, "there was no group guiding them ... asking about (project) statuses," said Murphy.

On Monday, Mary Wright was named chairwoman of the committee, which approved the selection by unanimous vote.
"If there's a drive for these committees to become official, let's become official," said Wright.

The LTCRS committee will meet on the second Monday in March with reports from different groups in town. The information will be about projects that groups currently are working on. It will focus on projects' progress, hold-ups, frustrations and goals for the near future, members agreed.
"Once we get a charge, we should make a list of goals," said Wright. "There's still a lot of loose ends all over the place."
One thing the LTCRS committee agreed upon was the need to clarify some things about the downtown designation, Wilmington Works. Residents have been confused about this, too.
"As they get going, (the downtown designation group) will take a lot of the efforts and it will be under their wing," said Murphy. "That process is starting now, but is taking a long time."
Once Wilmington Works' application is accepted by the Vermont Downtown Program group, the LTCRS committee may not need to be as concerned with projects in the downtown designation, which will focus on the area known as the Historic Review District Village.
The area's coverage will go from School Street to the Old Red Mill Inn and includes restaurant and bar, Apres Vous, as well as the Pettee Memorial Library.
The downtown designation group to be formed will range from nine to 11 members. It will be a board of advisors and will include at least two people designated by the Wilmington Selectboard, two from the Wilmington Fund, one from the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce, two business owners and two property owners. There will also be a program director.
The downtown designation group may take over various projects from different committees that have been formed.
"It's entirely possible these committees will morph into a Wilmington Works sub-group," said Murphy.
Members of the LTCRS committee discussed how frequently it should meet in the future.
"I think we only need to meet every month," said Murphy. "Unless something comes up."
Most of the committee thought that 5 p.m. on Mondays would work best for all involved, when it comes to scheduled, warned meetings.
By meeting on the second Monday of every month, the committee would get the chance to hear the Selectboard on the first Wednesday of the month and discuss goals with the board. Then it could get back to the board on the third Wednesday of the month, when the Selectboard meets again.
Wright has experience with working on the Wilmington Beautification Committee, of which she is still a member.
On Monday night, Wright mentioned her concern over informing the public on the roles each committee and board are responsible for.
"Somehow, being able to disseminate information to the general public, some kind of organization dissemination, ‘This is who's working on this. This is who's working on that.' I think that's the type of things people are looking for in this town," she said.
Chris Mays can be reached at 802-254-2311, ext. 273, or cmays@reformer.com. Follow Chris on Twitter @CMaysReformer.
More...
http://www.reformer.com/localnews/ci_22578281/wilmington-committee-seeks-mission-statement-approval

Leahy and Shumlin-announce-1-million-for-affordable-housing-project-renovation-of-waterbury-state-office-complex-building

WATERBURY – U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy and Gov. Peter Shumlin today announced a $950,000 award from the Agency of Commerce and Community Development to redevelop Ladd Hall in Waterbury into 27 new homes. The project is made possible by a recent agreement by the state to transfer ownership of the building and include affordable housing in the redevelopment of the State Office Complex. Joining them was Regional Administrator Barbara Fields from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The funding comes from the $21.6 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery funds ACCD received from HUD to help the state recover from Tropical Storm Irene. The money is awarded to the Central Vermont Community Land Trust and Housing Vermont to spearhead the project. - See more at: http://vtdigger.org/2013/02/17/leahy-shumlin-announce-1-million-for-affordable-housing-project-renovation-of-waterbury-state-office-complex-building/#sthash.xJWGplad.dpuf

More...
http://vtdigger.org/2013/02/17/leahy-shumlin-announce-1-million-for-affordable-housing-project-renovation-of-waterbury-state-office-complex-building/

Reflections on a great recovery - Waterbury VT

It was a great pleasure and honor, to participate in ReBuild Waterbury’s closure ceremony recently, marking the completion of this community’s commitment to helping Irene survivors return to safe, permanent housing. What the Waterbury/Duxbury community has accomplished is amazing. In the immediate response to the destruction of Tropical Storm Irene, thousands of volunteers were put to work feeding, sheltering, clothing and lifting the spirits of those affected. And as dark and painful as those memories of late August were to many, so too was the bright light of hope and healing that shone through the helping hands that provided so much to those impacted in our community.
More....
http://www.stowetoday.com/waterbury_record/opinion/article_76070c30-7137-11e2-83f3-001a4bcf887a.html

Feds to offer buyouts on 646 N.Y. homes hit by Irene, Lee

Feb 6, 2013 | Written by Joseph Spector, Albany Bureau Chief

ALBANY — The federal government has given approval for 646 homes to be bought out after tropical storms Irene and Lee, and more money could be going to help recovering upstate areas.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is proposing that $400 million in federal aid should be designated to buy out residents whose homes were flattened after Superstorm Sandy on Oct. 29 hit New York City and its suburbs.

A part of the money will also go to recovery efforts for the Southern Tier and the Hudson Valley, which were hit by Irene and Lee a year earlier, Cuomo’s office said.

The specifics of Cuomo’s program have not yet been released. The state Office of Emergency Management said 646 applications have been sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for buyouts and approved after Lee and Irene, which hit in August and September 2011, totaling $55 million.

More....

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20130206/NEWS01/302060049/Andrew-Cuomo-Irene-Lee-Sandy

Hackleburg School on Way to Recovery

HACKLEBURG, Ala. (WHNT) – Feb 22, 2013
As the two-year anniversary approaches of the deadly tornado outbreak of April 2011, life is still not back to normal for some towns.
Dozens of singlewide trailers all in a row, now make up Hackleburg High School.
“It`s a nice facility but it’s nothing you really want to stay in for a long period of time,” said Hackleburg Police Chief, Kenny Hallmark.
It’s a stark contrast from the school that once sat just across the street.
The tornado that ripped through the area on April 27th, 2011, demolished that building.
“At first I didn`t think it would bother them that much, I figured it would affect the community, or the people who had been in school more than it did the kids, but now it`s starting to affect the kids,” said Hallmark.
While the school`s under construction, there`s still no where for student athletes to play their games. Students must travel for every event, which some people say is also taking a toll on the school community.
“That`s something this town is built on is the pride of their school and athletic teams and its beginning to weigh on them,” said Hallmark.
Finally, heavy equipment sets, ready to run. When the weather cooperates, dirt is getting moved for the town’s new school complex.
“It’s kinda picked the spirits up , once the building starts going up, I think that will help the spirits also for the people in town, but its been a long time coming,” said Hallmark.
While the wet ground has delayed progress crews expect to have the school built from ground up in the next year and a half.
Bids for the sports complex went out Friday. All other construction bids have been approved.

VIDEO... http://whnt.com/2013/02/22/hackleburg-school-on-way-to-recovery/

Senator Sessions Tours Rebult Hackleburg Wrangler Plant

Feb 20th 2013' HACKLEBURG, AL (WBRC) -
Another business is on the road to recovery in the Marion County town of Hackleburg.

Wednesday, Senator Jeff Sessions toured the VF Jeanswear Wrangler distribution center, which was wiped out in the April 27 tornadoes. The plant sits on a hill, and on April 27, 2011 it became a field of twisted metal and jeans in only a matter of seconds.

Before the tornado, the Wrangler plant was by far the town's biggest employer with 150 employees. Without it, Hackleburg faced a bleak future.

The state contributed $31 million to bring the plant back, and Hackleburg added $200,000 to that amount. When the new plant reopens in May, it will employ 200 people.

"They made a commitment to come here. They were assisted by all the local governments, and it was really important to me. I really felt and I know a lot of us felt that it was important that this plant come back here, psychologically and economically," Sen. Sessions said.

A total of 18 people were killed in the Hackleburg tornado, including one person who died inside the plant.

Copyright 2013 WBRC. All rights reserved.

FOR VIDEO....
http://www.wsfa.com/story/21290580/sen-sessions-tours-rebuilt-wrangler-plant-in-hackleburg

Community, Returning to Life, Asks, ‘Where Is Everybody?’

The New York Times

By CARA BUCKLEY
Published: February 19, 2013

There weren’t enough people in Red Hook, residents said to one another in worried tones. The Brooklyn neighborhood felt lonely. Dwellers in the garden apartments along Pioneer Street, which took on about eight feet of water during Hurricane Sandy, were long gone. Dog walkers’ clients had moved, taking their canine charges with them. At least one restaurant was having trouble finding enough workers to reopen. Demand from would-be home buyers had ebbed.

More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/nyregion/amid-rebuilding-red-hook-asks-where-did-everybody-go.html?_r=1&

Long Beach Gathers Opinions from Residents, Visitors on BoardwalkRebuilding

The city of Long Beach, Long Island is collecting opinions from residents and visitors, as it moves forward with plans to rebuild its boardwalk. Officials say they’re hoping to replace at least part of the more than two-mile boardwalk, which was heavily damaged by Sandy, in time for the summer season.

More...
http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2013/feb/18/long-beach-gathers-opinions-boardwalk-rebuilding/

Year End Editorial From Minot ND Mayor on Recovery Progress

http://www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/news/detail.asp?newsID=252 for full article.

1/6/12

From Mayor Curt Zimbleman: While it seems like an overused phrase, 2012 was truly one for the record books while also being a year of great change in Minot. With the ongoing flood recovery efforts and the energy impact due to the oil boom, our region has been through a lot in 2012.

Before I get too far, I want to thank all the many volunteers, businesses, friends, neighbors and even complete strangers who have helped the Magic City continue recovering from the 2011 Mouse River flood. You have proved to be a resilient, caring, resourceful, compassionate people willing to help when times are tough. As well, a pat on the back to all those who are working to manage the growth and change coming at us from every direction.

Flood Recovery

As I look back on 2012 I see a lot of key points to highlight when it comes to flood recovery. All intersection signals and street lights were repaired, the dead loops and main portions of the Mouse River were cleaned of garbage and flood debris was hauled away from homes - more than 56,500 tons! According to the City Assessor's Office, 80 percent of the homes with main-floor flood damage are now habitable; and a report released this summer showed 97 percent of businesses affected by the flood remain open one year later. In many ways our community made great strides in 2012.

See full article for the full update

Hackleburg and NW AL Receive Long Term Recovery Funds

Hackleburg to get $4.8M for recovery
By Bernie Delinski
The Decatur Daily, 12/20/12

HACKLEBURG — Amid all the speeches made Wednesday in announcing more than $15.75 million in tornado disaster relief funds — including $8.1 million for northwest Alabama — a single statement from an audience member seemed to speak loudest.

More....
http://www.decaturdaily.com/stories/Hackleburg-to-get-48M-for-recovery,109637

Joplin and their Citizen Advisory Recovery Team Make Time's ComebackList of 2012

Time Top 10 2012 Comebacks
4. Joplin, Missouri

By Erin SkardaDec. 04, 20120

JOE RAEDLE / GETTY IMAGES
Zach Abrams plays basketball outside of the FEMA trailer where his family lives after their home was destroyed by a tornado that ripped through Joplin, Mo., one year ago, May 22, 2012.

On May 22, 2011, a high-powered EF-5 tornado swept through the Midwestern city of Joplin, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its path. It was the single deadliest tornado to hit the U.S. in nearly 60 years, killing 161 people and injuring 1,000. Approximately 7,500 homes and hundreds of businesses were destroyed. But one year later, things were already looking up for Joplin. Just weeks after the tornado, the community came together for a public meeting, where a plan to rebuild the city was launched on a series of sticky notes. Led by local business owner Jane Cage, the group started the Citizens Advisory Recovery Team to work with the local government and act as a voice for residents. In January, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a $45 million investment in the city, which will go a long way toward bringing the sticky-note plan to life. And for the high school students of Joplin, who returned to class three months after the tornado in a makeshift space in the local mall, a special guest visited the city in May to deliver their commencement address: President Obama. “My deepest hope for all of you is that as you begin this new chapter in your life, you will bring that spirit of Joplin to every place you travel and everything you do,” he said

Read more:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/12/04/top-10-news-lists/slide/joplin-missouri/

From the Joplin Globe:

Our View: Making the strong finish 12/10/2012 3:00 PM
It all began with a series of sticky notes.

That’s right. That was the genesis for the rebuilding of Joplin.
And the words on those notes were yours.
Some of you wanted Joplin to come back after the 2011 tornado with sidewalks and neighborhood parks and lots and lots of trees. You wanted safe rooms and efficient housing. You wanted bike and walking trails.
Others said Joplin needed a new library, a performing arts center, a convention center, even a minor league ball field.
Yes, some dream practical dreams and others dream big.
Those yellow sticky notes have caught the attention of a lot of people outside of Joplin. Most recently, they were mentioned by Time magazine, which has listed Joplin as No. 4 on its Top 10 Comebacks of 2012.
Here’s what it had to say:
“Led by local business owner Jane Cage, the group started the Citizens Advisory Recovery Team to work with the local government and act as a voice for residents. In January, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a $45 million investment in the city, which will go a long way toward bringing the sticky-note plan to life.”
Passage of the much-negotiated tax increment financing proposal will also fund the dreams listed on sticky notes. Residents should hear more about the outcome of that proposal this week.
We want the best for all of Joplin. We continue to put our support behind the TIF proposal as long as the Joplin School District does not lose the impact of the $62 million bond issue voters endorsed in April. That too was a comeback moment in Joplin’s post-tornado history.
But, as you all know, we really haven’t made a comeback until we finish the long, hard job ahead of us.
There’s a reason accolades are being heaped on our town. Joplin figured out how to help itself.
We applaud the ingenuity and the creativity.
Now, let’s finish the job.

http://m.joplinglobe.com/TJG/pm_105313/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=2rrVIbuE

Feds Fund Recovery Managers in Vermont

SOUTHERN VERMONT- The Economic Development Administration has awarded $472,000 in disaster recovery funds to a coalition of southern Vermont regional partners.

The grant funds will be managed by the Windham and Bennington regional commissions, but other players in the project include Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC), chambers of commerce, the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Brattleboro and Bennington downtown organizations, and municipalities.

The grant will fund three positions dedicated to recovery and economic development, including two recovery officers. One recovery officer will be based in Wilmington, according to BDCC Economic Development Project Director Laura Sibilia. A second recovery officer will be based in Brattleboro. Sibilia says the recovery officer based in Wilmington will generally be responsible for Wilmington and Bennington counties, while the Brattleboro-based recovery officer will cover the rest of Windham County.

The third position funded under the grant is a regional marketing coordinator. The regional marketing coordinator will also be located in Wilmington, with office space at the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Read more: Deerfield Valley News - Feds fund recovery project ....

http://www.dvalnews.com/view/full_story/21122284/article-Feds-fund-recovery-project?instance=news_special_coverage_right_column

Owego, NY, Tropical Storm Lee: A year later, the recovery continues5:59 PM, Jan 1, 2013

Longer-term, both county and municipal governments are looking at ways to prevent future flooding. The Village of Owego is in the process of developing a long-term community recovery plan, said Mayor Kevin Millar. It’s also working on an early-warning system, and encouraging residents to sign up for NYAlert.

Drive through the streets of Owego, Vestal or Conklin, and the scars from Tropical Storm Lee aren’t as evident as they once were — but they are there.

The Vestal Park Rehabilitation & Nursing Center stands empty on Vestal Road as does the former home of BAE Systems in Westover, which has since moved to the Huron complex in Endicott. For-sale signs dot the lawns of homes and businesses that can no longer afford to rebuild.

It’s been more than a year since the slow-moving storm sluiced nearly 9 inches of rain onto an already-damp Tier on Sept. 7 and 8, 2011. More than 30,000 Broome and Tioga residents evacuated, the largest such evacuation the region has seen. Property damage totaled more than $182 million in Broome and $84 million in Tioga, taking into account federal disaster aid, insurance claims, federal loans and buyout applications..

MORE...

http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20130101/NEWS01/312310063/Tropical-Storm-Lee-A-year-later-the-recovery-continues?nclick_check=1

National Disaster Recovery Framework Rollout Workshop in San Francisco CA

February 16th, 2012

Lessons in Community Recovery - New FEMA Report

A new FEMA Report describing principles and lessons of community recovery based on the 7 years of ESF #14 Long Term Community Recovery field work.

Businesses return to 15th Street and McFarland, Tuscaloosa

By Jason Morton
Staff Writer, Tuscaloosa News

Published: Sunday, January 29, 2012 

TUSCALOOSA | In the 10 months since the April 27 tornado, destroyed businesses in Tuscaloosa have been slowly rebuilding. Some have returned to a sense of normalcy, while others have yet to begin.

During that time, business owners and city officials have come into conflict while navigating the line between the city’s vision for its future and businesses’ rebuilding needs.

While there have been disagreements between the two over the city’s plans, several business owners in the areas affected by the tornado say they are starting to work better with the city on finding a balance between compliance with new, more restrictive city regulations and returning to business as usual.

Tommy Metrock’s Boulevard Salon on McFarland Boulevard was one of the smallest businesses destroyed and is one of the smallest to return.

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Design Alabama: Forward Tuscaloosa - Disaster Recovery Article

To read the Design Alabama artcile in its entirity, please click here.

DA Journal 2011 | Volume XXI | “Forward Tuscaloosa” by Jessica Armstrong

One of the worst tornado outbreaks ever to hit the United States occurred over a four-day period April 2011, causing catastrophic destruction, particularly in Alabama.  An EF-4 twister described as “very large and exceptionally destructive” struck Tuscaloosa April 27.  To devise a means of recovery, Mayor Walter Maddox formed the Rebuild Tuscaloosa Task Force, which put together the Tuscaloosa Forward Strategic Plan – a long-term vision born out of a public/private partnership and extensive citizen feedback.  Main concerns addressed by the plan are housing, improving infrastructure and economic development.  Tuscaloosa now has the opportunity to create updated land use that reflects the city’s urban core and replaces outdates codes and zoning, Maddox adds.

Podcast and Slideshow — Rebuilding Greensburg: Four Years of Progress

Greensburg, Kansas, Mayor Bob Dixson, and Stephen Hardy, senior planner with BNIM Architects in Kansas City, who prepared Greensburg’s Sustainable Comprehensive Plan following the May 2007 tornado that devastated the community, talk with Jim Schwab about the city’s four-year-old efforts to rebuild the community on green principles.

Click on the player below to listen:

Avoiding the Fate of Napoleon (Arkansas): Designing Successful Recovery Efforts

Todd Jaspers Blog:   I spent yesterday in Harrisburg, PA at the Region III National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) Stakeholder Engagement Workshop. While it was great to see so many emergency management professionals dedicated to recovery, it was also quite clear that these types of discussions about recovery are just the beginning of crucial recovery planning at every level. Collectively, we’ve spent enormous resources on response and now, with the NDRF, our focus is being re-adjusted to better understanding–and planning–recovery.

Teamwork saved Wrangler plant in Hackleburg, officials say

Published: Tuesday, January 24, 2012, 12:45 PM     Updated: Tuesday, January 24, 2012, 12:57 PM

By Dawn Kent -- The Birmingham News     BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Tornado-ravaged Hackleburg was in danger of losing its largest employer last spring, but a team effort of state agencies and local governments helped save and grow the Wrangler jeans distribution center.

GOVERNOR SHUMLIN, ALL RECOVERY IS LOCAL, VT

Wednesday, January 25 - 3:20 p.m. - Since August 28th, Governor Shumlin, FEMA and Vermonters across the state continue to work towards rebuilding Vermont better than the way Irene found us.Watch the Governor speak on how local recovery with state support allows for success in our Green Mountain State.

 Link for Transcripts of Governor Shumlin All Recovery is Local.

Fairfax Board Endorses [Pre] Disaster Recovery Plan

JANUARY 24, 2012 5:52 PMBY: FAIRFAX NEWS

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors today endorsed the first comprehensive disaster recovery plan in the National Capital Region. The Fairfax County Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan (PDRP) is the work of a federally-funded project led by the County Office of Emergency Management and positions Fairfax County to successfully recover from a major disaster.

“The PDRP will help ensure Fairfax County can not only survive a disaster, but will be able to recover from it as the great county it is today,” Chairman Sharon Bulova said. “Recovery isn’t just about removing debris or repairing property. We must be ready to get back to work and patronize our local businesses to keep our economy moving. We must be ready to take our kids to school and to reclaim our social lives. We must be ready to face the new day.”

The plan includes partnerships with community organizations like Faith Communities in Action and local Chambers of Commerce. It considers post-disaster community needs holistically, and in coordination with our partners, it will assist the community in addressing the overwhelming and diverse issues that could arise once response activities have subsided.

“The PDRP has been praised by federal economic and emergency management officials, and localities across the country are looking to it as a model for their disaster recovery plans,” Chairman Bulova said. “Our Office of Emergency Management personnel and their director, David McKernan, are to be applauded for their efforts.”

The U.S. Economic Development Administration is currently promoting the plan as a “best practice” on their National Disaster Recovery Framework Rollout tour. Requests for more information on the project have come from multiple jurisdictions, including Los Angeles, California; Garland, Texas; and King County, Washington.

To view the final Fairfax County Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan and read about the extensive process used to develop it, visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem/pdrp/ .

Joplin leaders endorse tornado recovery plan

Thu, Jan. 19, 2012, KANSAS CITY STAR   kansascity.com

JOPLIN, Mo. | Community leaders in Joplin have resoundingly endorsed a long-term tornado recovery plan they hope will serve as a national example for other disaster-ravaged areas. The standing ovations and shouts of praise from a grateful public Thursday night were a good start.

The Joplin City Council, school board and Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Board of Aldermen in neighboring Duquesne, swiftly approved the recovery plan at a meeting that ended after barely 30 minutes, though it was scheduled to last two hours. The only hiccup: passing a microphone from one end to the other of a U-shaped table crammed with 45 elected officials and business owners.

The plan was developed by a group of volunteers based on comments offered by area residents at a series of public discussions that began several weeks after the May 22 tornado, one of the nation's deadliest, killed 161 people and destroyed thousands of buildings, from homes and churches to big-box retail businesses and one of the city's two hospitals.

Recommendations include creation of four new business districts that would also allow residents to live and shop nearby. The plan also calls for a city committee to ensure new construction meets certain design standards, including more landscaping to offset commercial projects and parking lots.

More...

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/19/3380952/joplin-leaders-endorse-tornado.html#storylink=cpy

A Big Check To Help In Recovery in Owego NY

 

Owego, NY (WBNG Binghamton) The Tioga County Historical Society is still struggling to recover from September's floods. Sunday afternoon, it received some financial assistance to speed up the process.
The historical society was given a $13,000 grant Sunday from the Preservation League of New York State.
Read more...

By Brandi Devine, January 22, 2012 wbng.com

Village of Owego NY flood recovery update

Owegopennysaver.com On 1/16/12 •
The Village of Owego is moving ahead on many fronts to help village residents and businesses recover from flood damage. A FEMA Long-Term Community Recovery team led by Peter Gozza, a Long-Term Community Recovery leader, and a staff of three people with experience in post disaster economic recovery will be working in the village. They will be meeting with a Community Recovery Committee of local business people and community leaders to develop a strategic plan for economic recovery.

A New York state grant for Long-Term Community Recovery for $50,000 is being applied for. This grant can be used to help the village review and update the Village Master Plan that was done in 2003. The 2003 Village Master Plan is on the village web site under Departments> Department of Public Works (DPW). The Village of Owego Planning Board met on Tuesday, Jan 10 to discuss reviewing and updating the Village Master Plan.

The village is applying for a $ 3,000,000 Hazard Mitigation Grant that will help homeowners elevate their homes. Homeowners who had flood insurance can get a one time $30,000 increased cost of compliance ( ICC) grant from their insurance company to elevate. A sign up sheet has been available at the village office to show that you are interested. There will be a prioritization of properties done after the grant is awarded. For more information call the Village Clerk / Treasurer at 687-3555.

The village will be participating in the development of a new Tioga County All Hazards Mitigation Plan to replace the one that ended in October 2011. This plan is needed before a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) for Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee (DR-4031) funds can be distributed in Tioga County. Owego Deputy Mayor Kevin Millar is the village representative to the Tioga County Hazard Mitigation group that will be working on the Tioga County All Hazard Mitigation Plan. There will be a consulting firm experienced in hazard mitigation plan development contracted by Tioga County to help develop the plan.

READ MORE...

Residents think of ways to revitalize Athens Borough

Morning-times.com  12-13-11

Residents think of ways to revitalize Athens Borough

By KRISTY WESTBROOK

Staff Writer

Several residents talk to a FEMA official during Monday’s meeting at Athens High School. Pat McDonald/Morning TimesATHENS BOROUGH – Athens Borough residents Monday brainstormed on ways to bring the borough back after the recent flooding.

A community meeting was held in the Athens Area High School cafeteria on long-term community recovery with local and Federal Emergency Management Agency officials.

Athens Borough Emergency Management Coordinator, and co-chair of the Athens Recovery Steering Committee Scott Riley headed the meeting alongside co-chair Yvonne Maslin. Riley and Maslin created the committee with the help of FEMA, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency officials and Bradford County Emergency Management Agency representatives.

“Hopefully, this will help move the borough forward,” said Riley.

“It will take all of us to put all of the pieces of Athens back together,” Maslin said to residents, adding that Athens is not the same after the recent flooding and will not be again.

Several Athens Borough business owners attended Monday’s meeting. Pat McDonald/Morning Times“Together we can shape what will happen,” said Maslin. She said the borough now has the opportunity to come back even stronger.

Before creating a new community, Maslin said residents have to decide what they liked about the borough before the recent flooding and how they would like to be after it is revitalized.

Long-Term Recovery

John Boyle of FEMA, who is specifically working on long-term community recovery, said the Athens Borough Steering Committee and its FEMA consultants have also been speaking with agencies such as the Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Committee and the Central Bradford Progress Authority on ways to find funding for the borough once reconstruction plans are devised.

Read the remainder of the article...

Minot Adopts FEMA Recovery Plan

KFYR TV News, Dec 19th, 2011
The City of Minot has approved a comprehensive, long-term recovery plan.    See Plan  

FEMA published the plan December 7, after months of public input following the Souris River Flood. Now that the Minot City Council is on-board attention turns to getting started and footing the bill.

Six months since the Souris River`s crest through Minot, emotions are still raw in neighborhoods... Inside Minot City Hall elected officials approved a FEMA plan that aims to get the region back on its feet.

More than 150 pages in length with a completion date years from now, it`s a challenge, but Minot Mayor Curt Zimbelman says the investment is worth it. "A lot of times these kinda plans get set on the shelf and are never looked at again but I think this is the kinda plan that we can honestly take a good hard try at and accomplish," Zimbelman said after Monday`s City Council Meeting.

Building affordable housing, promoting economic development and building parks are all priorities of the plan. Now, the minds behind the final draft say it`s important that communities work quickly to get the smaller- more manageable projects completed first.

"A lot of the things we`ve worked on in previous disasters we start with the small things, work on those, get those accomplished, and then start working on biggest things. It`s kinda that confidence builder if you will," said FEMA representative Steve Greene. 

The other reason planners put smaller things first: money. Big undertakings such as improving traffic along Burdick Expressway as well as a miles-long greenway will be expensive and while this plan doesn`t come with a check- it isn`t without suggestions.

Greene said, "We don`t guarantee funding but the one thing we can do is start asking our federal and state partners what programs they have out there that these communities can take advantage of."

Will it be expensive? Definitely; but Zimbelman says the cost is worth it, "Can`t let that hold you back. You have to have a vision and I think this sets us on a track for a better Minot at the end."

Nothing about this plan is set in stone, but Minot leaders hope this will be the bed rock of a healthier city.

Ward County Commissioners will discuss the plan Tuesday.

Podcast & Photo Gallery: Cedar Rapids Flood Recovery — An Interview with Christine Butterfield

November 9, 2011 - American Planning Association - Recovery News

Christine Butterfield is the director of community development for the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which was hit by a record-breaking flood in June 2008. She speaks here about the extensive planning effort to rebuild a city in which more than 10,000 people were evacuated from areas along the Cedar River, historic neighborhoods were inundated, and thousands of residents lost their homes or saw them badly damaged.

At the APA National Planning Conference in Boston in April 2011, she and her staff saw the city’s heroic efforts recognized with an APA National Planning Excellence Award for Best Practices in Hazard Mitigation and Disaster Planning, shared with Sasaki Associates, Inc., for the city’s new River Corridor Development Plan.

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Vote nears on new codes for buildings

By Jason Morton, Staff Writer, Tuscaloosanews.com

Published: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 3:30 a.m

TUSCALOOSA | The Tuscaloosa City Council on Tuesday made a final round of tweaks to a proposed set of new building and design codes for commercial areas in the tornado recovery zone.

The changes were made in anticipation of next week’s vote by the City Council to formally introduce the new rules and begin the legally required advertising period.  ...

John McConnell, director of city planning, said the intent of the codes, as influenced by the Tuscaloosa Forward task force and community input, was to create and establish urban and retail areas that are also suitable for walking.  ...
For more information, or to review the proposed code changes and zoning maps, go to http://tuscaloosaforward.com/recovery-planning/zoning.

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Joplin: A city rising from the rubble

By Eric Adler, Laura Bauer and Mike McGraw, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Dec. 18--JOPLIN, Mo.--Winter creeps closer. Mark Rohr rises for another 13-hour day of work along "the destruction zone."  Some call it "the dig site," "the war zone," "the scar."  More hopeful residents like Rohr, Joplin's city manager, reject all those names as too negative, inasmuch as they fail to recognize what he sees as the speedy and near miraculous clearing of mountains of debris, the businesses returning, the steady thwack of nail guns rebuilding homes....

Last month, Congress approved some $400 million in community development block grants that Missouri can apply for to help rebuild parts of Joplin and flood-ravaged towns. Exactly how much Joplin might get remains unknown.  Insurers, meantime, have already paid out more than $1 billion in claims, with losses estimated at close to $2 billion.

"We would all love to be seven months into this and say everything is rebuilt and we're all done," Rob O'Brian, president of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, said in a measured assessment. "But no one expected this to be a six- or seven-month recovery process. Realistically, we know this is going to be a several-year process.... I would say, by and large, we are even ahead of schedule."

As the year that will define Joplin for decades comes to a close, the city's landscape is already transformed....

Attitude aside, the tornado also heaved up a wave of problems that many acknowledge will take more than bricks, mortar and a can-do spirit to stem.

Exactly what the rebuilt city -- population some 50,000 before the tornado -- will or should look like continues to be debated.

In November, the city's Citizens Advisory Recovery Team, a panel of some 100 residents, community and city leaders -- offered the City Council a menu of recommendations.

The thinking is that the black cloud that tossed homes, schools, businesses and some 15,000 cars into twisted heaps might also offer a silver-lining opportunity -- urban planning by tornado, just as tiny Greensburg, Kan., was reborn as an environmentally friendly town after being wiped from the map.

The recommendations from the team, known as CART, ranged from bike lanes in all areas of new construction to storm shelters in new schools. It included a mixed-use pilot neighborhood that might serve as a model for future urban core construction: energy-efficient homes with underground utilities on a block where retail mixes with residential.

"I don't think we do justice to the lives that were lost, the people who were injured in the storm, if we don't do our part to build back better than what we had before," said Joplin School Superintendent C.J. Huff, a CART member. "If you don't take this opportunity to build back better and stronger, then we weren't the community I thought we were when I decided to come here."

But there lies a tension:
While planning for the future, city leaders also know they must deal with the here and now, striving to rebuild the city as quickly as possible and return to normal knowing "normal" will have to be redefined.

If displaced residents don't return -- and no one knows how many will -- city and school coffers are certain to suffer.

"I have no doubt we're going to lose families," said Huff, who is nonetheless hopeful. "I know we're going to gain some families in the years to come."

Sixty percent of the district's budget comes from property taxes....
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