Polk County was mentioned in the October edition of “
Planning,” a national trade magazine published by the American PlanningAssociation. In the article “
Winds of Change” by James C. Schwab, he writes about post disaster redevelopment plans after hurricanes or major disasters in Florida:
“Florida also has launched a major initiative, the first of its kind, to engage its communities in post-disaster redevelopment planning. Florida law has long included a provision requiring this type of planning in local comprehensive plans, but it never was activated, mostly because developing guidance for such plans would have been a major undertaking for the Florida Department of Community Affairs, which reviews local plans.
In the last two years, however, with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, NOAA, the state has enlisted five counties and one municipality to undertake pilot projects in developing such plans. At this point, Panama City and Polk County have completed their plans, while the counties of Hillsborough, Nassau, Manatee, and Sarasota are expected to complete theirs by early next year………”
The Post Disaster Redevelopment Plan committee, made up of local community groups, Public Safety and Emergency Management staff, nonprofit organizations, local businesses, Polk County’s 17 municipalities, community colleges and universities, and healthcare organizations made recommendations about how Polk County will recover and redevelop long-term after a disaster.
The committee looked at post disaster planning for any natural, technological or civil emergency requiring the issuance of a disaster declaration by local, state or federal officials.
Recovery topics addressed in the plan include economic redevelopment, housing repair and reconstruction, infrastructure and environmental restoration, health and human services and financial considerations, as well as other issues identified by the community.
Curtis Knowles, Senior Planner with the Polk County Growth Management Department headed up this project. For more information on the plan contact Curtis Knowles at (863) 534-6486 or by email at curtisknowles@polk-county.net. You can also visit the Polk County Post Disaster Redevelopment Plan website at http://www.polk-county.net/subpage.aspx?menu_id=226&nav=bus&id=9206