This document summarizes a presentation about linking economic development and hazard mitigation planning. It discusses how the Kerr-Tar Regional Council in North Carolina coordinates these plans to improve community resilience. The council updated their hazard mitigation plan and developed recommendations to integrate resilience into other plans and projects. They are now working to establish a resilience council and provide resources to help communities with business continuity and incorporate resilience into other local plans. The goal is to support economic growth in safe, disaster-resilient areas and enable faster recovery through coordinated planning.

1. NADO ATC
New Orleans, LA
October 24, 2015
Webinar Presentation
March 17, 2015
Building Economic Resilience:
Linking Economic Development and Hazard Mitigation Planning

2. Quick Facts on Kerr-Tar
Regional Council
• Five county region in the North
Carolina Piedmont, north of
Research Triangle Park (RTP)
• 21 local government members
• Serve as a staff extension of
our local governments, also:
– Transportation planning
– Alternative energy/fuels
– Mobility management
– Hazard mitigation planning
About the Kerr-Tar Region

3. Why we were interested?
• Person County experiences four
seasons!
• Most of the commercial,
professional and health service
activity is in the City limits, Roxboro
(County center)
• Natural and man-made disasters or
disruptions are somewhat
common, vary in intensity and
depth of affecting local citizens, i.e.
crippling winter storms vs. localized
parking lot flooding
• I contacted NADO after contracting
with Person County and Roxboro on
a hazard mitigation plan update
• Updating the regional CEDS, so
good timing!

4. North Carolina CEDS 2014
Plan Alignment
Kerr-Tar Region CEDS
2013 - 2017
Work plan
• The 2014 work plan tasked
updating a hazard mitigation
plan for city of Roxboro and
Person County into a multi-
jurisdictional plan
• NADO Research Foundation
and the Center for Hazard and
Policy Research worked with
Kerr Tar to develop a technical
memo on syncing hazard
mitigation planning and CEDS
activities to foster improved
community resiliency

5. What the plan communicates

6. Mapping Out Hazard Resilience
Socioeconomic Resilience Score Population Score

7. Why link economic development and
hazard mitigation planning?

8. • Supports business and economic development that is safe
and resilient to known hazards.
• Builds capacity and relationships that can lead to a
quicker, stronger recovery in the event of a disaster.
• Makes each plan more effective and likely to achieve its
objectives.
• Promotes creative thinking about new funding sources for
programs and projects.
• Allows leaders to market the region to businesses as safe
and prepared for future disasters.
Benefits of Plan Coordination

9. Implementing the Recommendations

10. HAPPENING NOW
• Business continuity planning outreach – Educating our communities
on the impacts of short and long term natural and man made hazards
• Add a resiliency analysis section to CEDS and update periodically
• Build a case for resiliency in other planning documents – Provide
tailored research and reference information for easy-to-make
resiliency planning in local government comprehensive and land-use
plan updates.
COORDINATING FOR 2016
• Establish a resiliency council – Build regional dialogue between
planners, emergency services, economic developers, and citizens-at-
large
Implementing the Recommendations

11. SELECTED AS A PHASE V
REGION!

12. The SET States

13. Purpose of SET
Help rural communities/counties
work together as a regional team in
developing and implementing
A High Quality
Regional Economic Development Plan
that builds on the
current and emerging
economic strengths
of their region.
Similar to CEDS Planning Process (Not
Totally Duplicative Though)
13

14. Efforts outside of plan work and advocacy
• Small community grant
making assistance
• In other words, $$$$
• Resiliency workshop
planning – “For small
communities, from
small communities”
theme

15. FURTHER QUESTIONS?
Will Brooks, Regional Planning Director
Kerr-Tar Council of Governments
wbrooks@kerrtarcog.org
252.436.2040