Emerald Coast RC Conducts
Regional Rural Transportation Pilot Project
The Emerald Coast RC, through funding provided by the Florida Department of Transportation, is conducting a Regional Rural Transportation Pilot Project for Northwest Florida. The project provides an opportunity to assist the rural areas of the region and FDOT District 3 to identify needed transportation improvements and assist in planning for increasing populations, as well as economic opportunities. The transportation plan will also identify and assist in maintaining the existing transportation system to ensure connectivity of important regional and state transportation systems. Part of the work includes developing and adopting a Rural Regional Transportation Plan with a 20-year planning horizon that will take into consideration current and future land uses as well as the unique needs of rural communities. The plan will also address connectivity including multi-modal linkages that support passenger and freight movements and ensure a transportation system which is more cost-effective and better able to address natural and manmade disasters.
 
This pilot project will create a framework to establish a systematic process for rural communities that supports ongoing, collaborative dialogue with each other, the Emerald Coast RC and FDOT Headquarters and FDOT District 3. It will also create a process to continue updating and identifying the needs of rural areas and rank project priorities. When finished, the project could be replicated throughout the state of Florida as a model for FDOT.  The Emerald Coast RC is excited to partner with FDOT and the rural areas of FDOT District 3 on this endeavor. 
Apalachee RPC Establishes Resilience Collaborative
The Apalachee RPC recently established Apalachee Strong, a resilience collaborative, for the region. With funding made possible through a grant provided by the American Flood Coalition, all nine of the Apalachee Region’s member counties have joined the collaborative. The initiative started in November of 2020 with the adoption of the local Memorandum of Understanding that outlines the need for a collaborative approach in tackling resiliency issues. The goal of the collaborative is to achieve a return on investment in our communities and serve as a centralized forum for resilience-related initiatives across the region. By identifying the region’s resilience deficits, specific policies can be set to meet them, and funding and grant opportunities can be pursued.
 
One of the first projects Apalachee Strong will take on is the development of a regional vulnerability analysis. The Apalachee RPC is pursuing a grant for this project through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Resilient Florida Grant Program. The grant program, established by 2021 Florida Legislature, recognizes the need for regional resilience coalitions to coordinate solutions to sea level rise and flooding. The Apalachee RPC will use the grant opportunity to develop the vulnerability analysis which can be used to prioritize resiliency projects for inclusion into the Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience Plan.
North Central Florida RPC
Administers Housing Rehabilitation Projects
The North Central Florida RPC recently completed assistance to Bradford County and initiated assistance to the Town of Mayo with housing rehabilitation projects. The projects consisted of the rehabilitation or demolition and replacement of substandard low- and moderate-income owner-occupied dwelling units. Both projects are funded by Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grants. Housing deficiencies were addressed by the project resulting in safe, suitable and sanitary housing for the residents.
 
The Council assisted the County and Town identify needs, define the scope of the improvements to address the identified problems, prepare Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant applications and provide grant administration services to implement the multi-year projects.  Grant administration services provided by the Council included completion of environmental review and clearance, solicitation of applications, determination of eligibility, inspection of dwelling units, preparation of work write-ups to address deficiencies, procurement of contractors, and provision of project monitoring to ensure compliance with federal and state rules and regulations. In particular, grant funds fiscal management and fair housing activities were managed by the Council.
SAVE THE DATE - December 8 - 10, 2021