Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council

WRPC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JANUARY MEETING

The WRPC Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 19, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. at the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council office, 1241 S.W. 10th Street, Ocala, FL. Please see the
"Meeting Agendas" section of this webpage for related materials.

Department of Economic Opportunity's (DEO)
Division of Strategic Business Development
Regional Stakeholders Forum
including the Withlacoochee Region

March 2, 2012
(to be held in Gainesville)

The Florida DEO has announced a series of regional forums as part of the process for creation of a new Statewide Strategic Plan for Economic Development. The regional forum, which will include the Withlacoochee Region, will be held on March 2, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Santa Fe College - Kirkpatric Center Institute of Public Safety, 3737 N.E. 39th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32609 (just past the airport entrance). A map showing the location may be accessed here.

The intent of the forums is to gather insights related to the creation of Florida's 2012-2017 Statewide Strategic Plan Economic Development. The purpose of this forum is to review and prioritize goals, objectives and strategies for implementation by state government that would assist Florida's regions with economic development and job creation. Job creation partners and planners from local governments; local and regional economic development organizations; other local, state, federal, and international community and economic development entities; workforce and talent development entities; the business community; educational institutions; and others from the public are encouraged to participate. Because seating is limited and a diversity of representation will be important, please let the local coordinator know if you would like to receive an invitation to the meeting for your region. For more information, you may contact Stephanie Gibbons at 850/717-8967 (Stephanie.Gibbons@deo.myflorida.com) or for the Withlacoochee Region you may contact Bruce Day at 352/732-1315 ext 230 bday@wrpc.cc..

Florida Hazardous Materials Awareness Week
January 22-28, 2012

Governor Rick Scott has signed a Proclamation designated the week of January 22-28, 2012 as Florida Hazardous Materials Awareness Week. You may read the entire Proclamation is available for review here. Please join the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council, District 5 Local Emergency Planning Committee and the State Emergency Response Commission in the observance of Hazardous Materials Awareness Week. These organizations wish to promote safe and secure handling, use and disposal of light bulbs and other various instruments containing Mercury. The proper care of these items ensures personal safety, protection of health and Florida's precious environment.

Listed below are websites to agencies who educate, regulate and respond to incidents involving Mercury and other hazardous materials.

Should an incident occur in the home, please take extra measures to ensure personal protection. The websites listed here are of the Region's responding agencies. The first link will guide you through immediate protective measures and clean up procedures. Should you require further assistance, each of the links below provide additional guidance.

www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/quick_topics/publications/shw/mercury/CFLCleanupGuidelinesLetterheadFinal062507.pdf
emergency.cdc.gov/agent/mercury/index.asp
www.doh.state.fl.us/Family/wh/lifespan/Young/mercury.html
www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/mercury/
www.myfloridaeh.com/medicine/SUPERFUND/mercurybrochure1110.pdf
www.myfloridaeh.com/medicine/SUPERFUND/mercuryfactsheet1110.pdf
www.epa.gov/hg/
www.co.hernando.fl.us/FireDept/
www.hernandosheriff.org/em/
www.sheriffcitrus.org/EM/EOC.html
www.levydisaster.com/
www.marionso.com/main.php
sumtercountyfl.gov/
www.marioncountyfl.org/FireRescue/Fire_default.aspx
chieflandfirerescue.com/Home_Page.php
sumtercountyfl.gov/index.aspx?nid=86
floridastatefirecollege.org/public/pb_index.asp
www.ffca.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1
www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/mercury
www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=113&tid=24

Preparing the Region for Disasters!

The Florida Division of Emergency Management embarked on a project uniting 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 Program (SRESP).

The first phase of the Study consists 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 Study consists of a Vulnerability Analysis, Evacuation Population and Vulnerability Analysis, Transportation Analysis, and Emergency Management Toolkit.

To view completed SRESP documents, please go to the Evacuation Planning Section of this website.

For further information, contact Lauren Yeatter at lyeatter@wrpc.cc.

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 continue 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

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.