HOTCOG Grant To Strengthen Local Communities
And Improve Competitiveness
1/25/2012
The Heart of Texas Council of Governments has secured a Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant of $660,000 from the United States Office of Housing and Urban Development. Including the matching funds from regional partners investing in the project, the Regional Plan for Sustainable Development will cost just under $1 million and will provide a broad range of tools to strengthen communities and make them more competitive.
The Heart of Texas Healthy Region Consortium will produce a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development that focuses on building the region's health and competitiveness. The RPSD will contribute important tools to help communities and counties maintain infrastructure, support businesses, engage residents, and prepare for challenges such as drought and water supply issues. Public engagement will be critical, and meetings will be held in each county to gather information from residents about their concerns and desires for the future.
"These dollars will put tools in our communities' hands and give them more resources to handle local issues as they see fit," said Russell Devorsky, HOTCOG Executive Director. "Better maps and better information, enhanced by new processes to keep them current, will make our cities and counties more competitive and more efficient. Commissioners' Courts, City Councils, and leaders across our region have said they want to meet tomorrow's challenges with the best tools and information available. It's exciting to see their vision pay off."
The community plan components will include housing, land use, and infrastructure, and will be produced primarily with local staff and resources, advised by consultants and contractors. The same structure will be used for the economy component, which will focus on small business and entrepreneurship development. The environmental plan components of air quality, solid waste, and drought preparedness will be produced primarily by contractors with support from local staff and resources. An outer ring of planning primarily done by other entities - transportation, emergency preparedness, and water - will be integrated with the RPSD.
Freestone County will receive GIS maps of water, sewer, and street systems, which will build on local efforts to assemble detailed maps for capital improvements planning. Street and housing condition will also be reviewed. In addition, Freestone County and its communities will receive tools to build entrepreneurship and support small businesses.
"This is a wonderful project," said Kevin Benedict, Chairman of the Heart of Texas Economic Development District, businessman, and active Freestone County volunteer. "It will allow our region and Freestone County to grow more competitive and to achieve greater economic prosperity. This puts us on the cutting edge."
"We can use these tools," agrees Fairfield City Administrator Jeff Looney. "We've been working for some time to compile more accurate and complete maps of our water system. This will enable us to work more efficiently and save taxpayer dollars over time."
Freestone County Commissioners secured the benefits of the Sustainable Communities project for the entire county by pledging the cash and in-kind matching dollars required. In so doing they ensured that all citizens and communities would be served by the project.
As Lead Agency, the Heart of Texas Council of Governments will be administratively responsible for the program of work, but ultimate leadership will be in the hands of the Consortium as a whole. The Consortium will lead the planning and approve the results. Freestone County is a member of the Heart of Texas Healthy Region Consortium, which also includes 32 other regional, government, education, organization and individual partners. Members include the Heart of Texas Council of Governments; the Heart of Texas Economic Development District, Inc.; the Heart of Texas Regional Advisory Council (HOTRAC); the Heart of Texas Regional Planning Organization (HOTRPO); the Heart of Texas Workforce Development Board, Inc; Bosque County; Falls County; Freestone County; Hill County; Limestone County; Bosque County Emergency Management; Falls County Emergency Management ; Freestone County Emergency Management; Hill County Emergency Management; Limestone County Emergency Management; the City of Clifton; the City of Groesbeck; the City of Hubbard; the City of Meridian; the City of Marlin; the City of Mexia; the Texas Department of Transportation (Tx-DOT)-Waco District Office; Hill College, McLennan Community College; Navarro College; Navarro College Small Business Development Center; the Texas Center for Rural Entrepreneurship; Heart of Texas Goodwill Industries, Inc.; NeighborWorks Waco; Goodall-Witcher Healthcare Foundation (Clifton, Texas); Prairie Hill Water Supply Corporation; Prairielands Ground Water Conservation District ; and Chris Evilia.
The consortium brings together matching funds of $333,000 in cash and in-kind contributions from communities and entities throughout the region to make a total project of $963,000. Partners contributing matching funds include Heart of Texas Council of Governments, Heart of Texas Economic Development District, Inc., City of Clifton, City of Groesbeck, City of Marlin, City of Mexia, Bosque County, Falls County, Freestone County, Hill County, Limestone County, Chris Evilia, Hill College, NeighborWorks Waco, and Prairie Hill Water Supply Corporation.
"This project is about local control," said HOTCOG's Megan Henderson, who worked with communities in developing the plan design. "Putting a plan together - and putting that plan in the hands of local leaders - is just the first step. When a community knows what it needs and has the tools to do the job, that community is ready to meet the future with both hands on the steering wheel."