Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council

WRPC BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

The WRPC Board of Directors Meeting is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., Thursday, July 15, 2010. In addition, the Budget Committee will meet at 6:00 p.m. Both meetings will take place at the WRPC offices at 1241 S.W. 10th Street, Ocala, FL. Please see the
"Meeting Agendas" section of this webpage for related materials.

Per Capita Dues Rate Approved

The Board of Directors of the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council, at its March 18, 2010 meeting, unanimously approved a per capita dues rate of $.40 for FY 2010/2011. Dues per county for the Fiscal Year beginning October 1, 2010 will be:

Citrus - $57,044
Hernando - $66,019
Levy - $16,270
Marion - $132,176
Sumter - $38,130

The WRPC staff appreciates the continued support of the Board of Directors during these difficult economic times.

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) 2010 Update

The Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council announces that an annual update modifying the Region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is being considered in 2010. The Region’s CEDS Strategy Committee met on July 9, 2010 to begin the update process through a public hearing. Proposed changes focus primarily on addition of new action plan initiatives. The public is encouraged to comment by August 31, 2010. In September, the proposed CEDS update will go to the WRPC Board of Directors for authorization to transmit to EDA. EDA then finalizes the update process by accepting the amended CEDS document.

Pursuant to 13 CFR Sections 303.6 and 303.7 [75 FR 4259 published January 27, 2010], copies of the proposed annual CEDS plan update shall be available for public review and comment for at least 30 days. Beginning July 16, 2010, an electronic copy of proposed modifications to the region’s EDA-accepted CEDS may be downloaded from this website by selecting the following link: Proposed 2010 CEDS Update. Also upon request, a hard copy of the CEDS is available from the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council offices, located at 1241 SW 10th Street, Ocala, FL. For more information or to submit comments, please contact David Connolly, Senior Planner, by email at dconnolly@wrpc.cc or by phone at 352/732-1315 ext. 223

Announcing the Availability of "Shelter In Place" Education
from the District 5 Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)

The District 5 Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is pleased to announce the availability of Shelter In Place education. This education teaches a method used to protect yourself and your family in the event of a release of hazardous materials. Typically, a release will be in a gaseous or vapor form which can easily cover a large area versus a liquid form that will be isolated. A release could be from a static location (e.g. a facility which stores hazardous materials) or from a vehicle or railroad accident. The information is designed to bring awareness of an individual's surroundings, appropriate response and protective measures as well as information on personal safety.

LEPC staff is available to present both electronic media and static display materials to groups who wish to receive this educational opportunity. For more information, or if you have questions regarding this subject, you may wish to view some of the following links, or feel free to contact Michael Arnold at 352/732-1315 extension 228 or at MArnold@wrpc.cc.

What is the Local Emergency Planning Committee?
What is "Shelter In Place"?
View a PowerPoint Presentation on Shelter In Place

Preparing the Region for Disasters!

The Florida Division of Emergency Management has embarked on a project that will unite all 11 Regional Planning Councils within the state of Florida in a common goal of coordinating safe and efficient evacuation in all types of disasters. This project is known as the Statewide Regional Evacuation Study (SRES).

The first phase of the SRES study, currently underway, will consist of a Demographic and Land Use Analysis, Hazards Analysis, Behavioral Analysis, Critical Facility Inventories, Shelter Analysis, and Regional Evacuation Transportation Networks.

The second phase of the SRES study, scheduled to begin in the summer of 2008, will consist of a Vulnerability Analysis, Evacuation Population and Vulnerability Analysis, Transportation Analysis, and Emergency Management Toolkit.

Lending an EAR to Local Governments

The WRPC is currently working on several EARs (Evaluation and Appraisal Reports) and EAR Based Amendments for Local Governments in our region. EAR Based Amendments for Inverness and Brooksville are nearing completion. EARs for Chiefland, Inglis and Williston are ongoing. Each EAR requires a series of public meetings and takes approximately one year to complete. For further information, including scheduling WRPC assistance with future EARs and EAR Based Amendments, contact Bruce Day our Planning Director at 352/732-1315 ext. 230 or bday@wrpc.cc

Planning Services to Local Governments

An important part of the WRPC mission is to provide planning services to our local communities. The Council currently has ongoing projects with many of our local governments for preparation of land development regulation modifications, site plan review, visioning, GIS services, landscape guidelines, architectural design standards, and many other growth management related activities. For further information contact Bruce Day at bday@wrpc.cc

The 2010 Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council (WRPC) Regional Directory is now available for download, simply go to the Documents section and select Regional Directory.

For facts about the WRPC, click the icon below.

Disclaimer:
Content provided on this web page is for informational and planning purposes only. The Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council provides no warranty for the accuracy or availability of the content or data upon which the content is based.