[StBernard] State Office of Planning Task Force Holds First Meeting Tuesday

[Westley Annis]

State Office of Planning Task Force Holds First Meeting Tuesday

Nationally-known expert on smart growth will speak

BATON ROUGE, La. (December 17, 2007) - A task force charged with studying and making recommendations for the creation of a comprehensive Office of State Planning as recommended by the Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan will hold its first meeting Tuesday, December 18 in Baton Rouge. 

The Louisiana Legislature established the task force during the 2007 Regular Session and Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco appointed its members. The creation of a group to make recommendations on this issue was a 2007 legislative priority of the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA). 

The task force includes appointees from the Governor's Office, the Division of Administration, the LRA, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), the Police Jury Association, the Louisiana Municipal Association, the Louisiana Association of Planning and Development Districts, the Louisiana Chapter of the American Planning Association, the Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) and Louisiana Speaks.

John Frece of the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education will speak about the role of a State Office of Planning and its interaction with regional and local organizations.

WHAT: Office of State Planning Task Force Meeting

WHEN: December 18, 2007 from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: First Floor Auditorium, State Office Building, 150 Third Street in Baton Rouge

*	To see a full list of task force appointees, click here. <http://lra.louisiana.gov/rt_stateplanning.html> 
*	To download the agenda, click here. <http://lra.louisiana.gov/assets/OSPTaskforceAgenda121807.pdf> 

The Legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution 29 by Rep. Cheryl Gray recommending the task force during the regular session of 2007. Click here to read the resolution. 
<http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=442244> 

The input of world-renowned planners, local experts and more than 27,000 Louisiana citizens formed the basis of the Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan, which provides a broad strategic framework and priorities for land use, transportation, community growth and economic development in South Louisiana. One of more than 100 action items included in the plan calls for the creation of a coordinating and capacity-building entity at the state level which would provide a framework in which state, regional, and local governing bodies can coordinate to implement Louisiana's strategic vision for the future. 

Louisiana Speaks is the long-term planning initiative of the Louisiana Recovery Authority that is supported with private funds provided by the LRA Support Foundation. For more information about Louisiana Speaks, visit www.louisianaspeaks.org <http://keelson.eatel.net/websites/la.gov/action.cfm?md=communication&task=addClick&msg_ID=4801&ID=d%5DiZe%7EiKn7n%5E&redirect=http://www.louisianaspeaks.org> .

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated South Louisiana, claiming 1,464 lives, destroying more than 200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses. The Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) is the planning and coordinating body that was created in the aftermath of these storms by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to lead one of the most extensive rebuilding efforts in the world. The LRA is a 33-member body which is coordinating across jurisdictions, supporting community recovery and resurgence, ensuring integrity and effectiveness, and planning for the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana. 

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