Chapter 9: Regional Goals Regional Goals It is important to go through the process of setting goals and defining expectations to give communities a point of reference, a point of direction, and a completion point. The goals listed below were developed with community input. The public and local leaders/stakeholders were invited to attend public meetings in January 2015 to share their ideas on how to improve the region. The goals identified in this section are regional goals that the participating communities should work towards implementing together. Each community has individual needs that are addressed in their Community Risk Assessment. The list below should be updated annually to reflect projects and activities that have been implemented and new needs. Goal 1: Protect the lives, health, and safety of the citizens through education about natural hazards. 1. Work together as a region to share resources and to create opportunities for the public to be engaged and informed about the risks of natural hazards and mitigation activities. 2. Utilize various communication methods including, but not limited to, social media, mobile alerts, print, and radio to inform residents about natural hazards and mitigation activities. 3. Educate the public on the importance of purchasing a NOAA weather radio. Consider a cost-sharing program. 4. Participate in regional activities (such as the Illinois Valley Flood Resiliency Alliance and the Middle Illinois Basin Regional Water Supply Study) and encourage the public to be involved. 5. Engage in a regional discussion on the implementation of best practices for activating early warning sirens during storm events. 6. All communities with early warning sirens should adhere to Section 12 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act which states that the testing of outdoor early warning sirens shall only be held at 10:00 A.M. on the first Tuesday of each month, unless expressively approved in advance by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. 7. Encourage participation in the Community Rating System to lower flood insurance premiums for residents.
2015 Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, Putnam, and Stark Counties NHMP
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Goal 2: Reduce the loss of public and private property, especially critical facilities and infrastructure, through proper planning and by completing mitigation projects. 1. Work with a local regional planning agency to identify available planning and funding resources. 2. Seek FEMA funding for buyouts (property acquisition) to reduce the number of structures in the floodplain. 3. Prohibit the construction of all structures including homes, businesses, and critical facilities in a floodplain. 4. Adopt a region-wide flood damage prevention ordinance that puts forth higher regulatory standards. 5. Install, expand, or update early warning tornado sirens in every community. 6. Utilize Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping to identify critical facilities, potential hazard areas, etc. while developing and carrying out mitigation strategies. Goal 3: Protect and preserve the region’s rivers and floodplains, including, but not limited to the Illinois River, Fox River, Vermilion River, and Spoon River in order to reduce loss from flooding. 1. Increase the number of Certified Floodplain Managers (CFM) in the region. 2. Develop a greenways plan that can help preserve the floodplain from development. 3. Adopt property protection measures and/or flood control measures to maintain channel depth and proper stream flow. 4. Consider the use of property protection measures and/or flood control measures to maintain storm water infrastructure. Goal 4: Manage future development to mitigate the impact of natural hazards. 1. Adopt and enforce a building code to ensure that new structures are built with safety in mind. 2. Develop a regional building inspector training program and develop a process to allow communities, particularly smaller communities, to share building inspectors. 3. Encourage developers to build weather safe rooms during new construction. 4. Consider implementation of subdivision ordinances that include concepts such as underground electrical service and storm water management facilities.
2015 Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, Putnam, and Stark Counties NHMP
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Goal 5: Identify and evaluate specific projects in each of the five (5) counties to achieve hazard mitigation. 1. Work with other communities in the region when considering mitigation projects. 2. Continue to identify local flooding problems and identify and implement solutions. 3. Compile a list of potential problems in your community and work to rank them in order of urgency. Goal 6: Implement strategies that will improve economic resiliency. 1. Encourage businesses to participate in disaster preparedness and recovery planning activities. 2. Complete critical infrastructure projects that will reduce or eliminate the economic impact of natural disasters. 3. Develop partnerships with area businesses and non-profit organizations and develop strategies that will help communities strengthen their ability to recover following disasters.
2015 Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, Putnam, and Stark Counties NHMP
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