[StBernard] Louisiana Recovery Authority Board of Directors Meeting Agenda

[Westley Annis]

BATON ROUGE - Members of the Louisiana Recovery Authority Board of Directors
and the LRA executive director are taking their recovery agenda to
Washington today.
 
 Board chair Norman Francis, vice chair Walter Isaacson, board member Sean
Reilly and  executive director Andy Kopplin will meet in the nation's
capital with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff,
White House officials and  members of Louisiana's Congressional delegation.
Later, they will meet with former Sen. John Breaux , appointed on Monday by
Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco  to lead the state's  efforts to pass
recovery legislation in Congress.
 
The trip marks the end of an active week for the LRA. The authority
addressed all of its initial goals outlined by Blanco last week and is
planning the board of director's first meeting Wednesday in Baton Rouge. The
board will meet from 8-11 a.m. in House Committee Room 1 in the Lo! uisiana
State Capitol.  Board members will then take helicopter and driving tours of
the hurricane-ravaged areas of Southeast and Southwest Louisiana and meet
with local officials to hear their priorities and needs.
 
"I appointed this group because they are results-oriented and share my
passion for rebuilding Louisiana. I 've entrusted them with the task of
implementing my vision for recovery by developing a daring and comprehensive
plan," Blanco said of the first week's accomplishments. "This progress
report shows that they are doing just that."
 
"We set immediate short-term goals to give the authority clear targets to
achieve, and we met them. We have built an organization that makes state
government more responsive to immediate needs and to local community
planning efforts," said Andy Kopplin, Executive Director of the Authority. 
 
Last Monday the LRA committed to meeting nine goals in its first week:

*	Establish the LRA Web site 
*	Establish the LRA office 
*	Set dates for preliminary planning meetings with parishes and/or
regions 
*	Initiate daily meetings with cabinet 
*	Create preliminary list of short-term priorities 
*	Identify a nationally recognized planning firm for the planning
process 
*	Schedule American Institute of Architects conference on Louisiana
recovery and rebuilding 
*	Schedule a national business reinvestment conference 
*	Set benchmarks for contracting performance and local hiring by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, the General Services Administration and
the Corps of Engineers 

A complete list of the goals, along with a status report and accompanying
information can be found on the LRA Web site at www.lra.louisiana.gov .  
 
"Our daily cabinet meetings enable LRA staff to manage issues where we can
make decisions, identify challenges and monitor our progress," Kopplin said.
 
Kopplin said that setting benchmarks for contracting performance and local
hiring by FEMA, GSA and the Corps of Engineers is an ongoing priority. "We
believe the work of rebuilding Louisiana should be done by Louisiana
businesses and citizens. While not all of the contracts will go to Louisiana
businesses, the staff recommendations will be to set benchmarks that not
less than 75 percent of the rebuilding work in Louisiana is performed by
Louisiana companies and workers," he said! . "In addition, in the area of
storm debris removal, we believe that we have the capacity both in equipment
and available workers to meet 90 percent of the need."
 
The authority launched its website at www.lra.louisiana.gov  and will move
into office space at 525 Florida Boulevard as soon as a lease agreement is
approved by FEMA.   Drawing on senior staff on loan from departments and
agencies of state government, Kopplin has assembled a group of professionals
with experience in policy planning, administration and management. He
appointed Brig. Gen. Hunt Downer, Secretary of the Department of Veterans
Affairs as interim director of short-term projects and Division of
Administration Research Analyst Dominique Duval-Diop as interim director of
long-term planning. 
 
In acc! ordance with the Authority's seven-day work plan, staff and board
memb ers have received information from philanthropic organizations and
interviewed nationally prominent planners to help guide the state's
long-term planning process. The LRA will address this issue at its Wednesday
meeting. 
 
LRA staff has also been working closely with FEMA to develop a 90-day
planning process in the affected parishes, which would be integrated into
any proposed long-term planning effort.
 
Additionally, as promised, the American Institute of Architects conference
on the Louisiana recovery and rebuilding has been set for November 10-12 in
New Orleans.  Also, working with the Louisiana Economic Development and
other affected states, a partnership of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
International Economic Development Council and Southern Economic Development
Council, has set November 28-29 for a Gulf Coast business reinvestment
conference in Washington D.C.
 
The Louisiana Recovery Authority was created by Governor! Blanco on October
17, 2005, in response to the destruction caused by Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita. It is charged with establishing short-term priorities for recovery and
long-term plans for redevelopment of Louisiana.  The Authority will set a
federal and state agenda for the recovery and redevelopment effort and for
coordinating between levels and branches of government to implement its
agenda.  In addition to establishing priorities, the Authority will also
identify funding sources and innovative financing alternatives to adequately
fund the recovery and rebuilding efforts.  The Authority's recovery targets
include economic and workforce development, environmental quality, temporary
and permanent housing, healthcare, transportation, education, fiscal
stability, family services and law and order.
 
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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation (LDRF), Louisiana's fund for
Louisiana's people, has been established by Governor Kathleen Babineaux
Blanco in order to support long-term family restoration and recovery and
help provide assistance to our citizens in need through a network of
Louisiana charities and non-profit agencies. 

1-877-HELPLA1 (877-435-7521) www.louisianahelp.org