ECONOMIC RESILIENCE

Steady State Initiatives

Planning for and Implementing Economic Resilience Initiatives

1. Role of businesses in steady state planning and implementation

A. Identification of primary business risks relating to or caused by natural disasters, for example:

• Energy supply disruptions
• Facility damage or accessibility issues
• Telecommunications or utility service disruptions
• Etc.

B. Identification of primary business risks relating to disruptions other than natural disasters, often the result of persistent economic challenges or deficiencies, for example:

• Plant closures, downsizings, or interruptions of production
• Reduction of purchasing from local vendors in the supply chain

C. Development of plans for avoid or minimize disruptions from natural disasters, for example:

• Backup energy supplies
• Strengthening potentially physically challenged elements of facilities
• Improving accessibility infrastructure / accessibility redundancy
• Telecommunications redundancy
• Improving utility infrastructure
• Etc.

D. Communication of risks and plans to communities, county emergency services offices, and economic development organizations

2. Role of communities in steady state planning and implementation

A. Identification of primary business risks relating to natural disasters. Determine which publicly owned assets, if damaged by natural disaster, could disrupt local business operations. Examples are culverts and bridges that are key element of accessibility to business facilities, etc.

B. Participation in county hazard mitigation planning process with respect to these publicly owned assets that, if damaged by natural disaster, could disrupt local business operations. Include mitigation projects relating to these assets in the county hazard mitigation plan so as to avoid disruption of local business operations. Implement these mitigation projects. Project examples could include improving and reinforcing stream channels to avoid flooding damage, GIS database of municipal infrastructure, database of facility utility shut offs, enhancing channel capacity, restoring channel stability, etc.

C. Continuation of safe development practices, including land use/zoning ordinances requiring the location of structures outside of floodplains, stormwater policies that effectively manage stormwater so as not to create potentially disrupting flooding, the preservation of natural lands that act as buffers from storms, flood storage buffers from storms, the protection of community built environments from the impacts of extreme weather, etc.

3. Role of economic development organizations in steady state planning and implementation

A. Creation of network(s) to facilitate active and regular communication between the relevant sectors to (a) collaborate, (b) collect and disseminate information about key elements (such as supply-chain relationships), and (c) ensure that the public, private, education, and nonprofit sectors are aware of each other’s roles and responsibilities with respect to existing and potential future challenges

• County emergency management offices
• County offices of economic development
• County industrial development agencies
• County workforce management office
• Local government officials (CEO, DPW, etc.) of affected communities
• Major employers and cornerstone institutions (e.g. hospitals, colleges, etc.)
• Southern Tier West

B. Creation of a business database

• Database should begin with largest employers
• Database should be GIS-based and served over the web by controlled access
• Data fields should include location, description of operations, description of any hazardous operations or materials, contact information, location of utility services, employee information

C. Identification of primary business risks relating to natural disasters. Recognize and collect business and
community mitigation plans and county hazard mitigation plans.

D. Identification of pre-disruptions activities or initiatives that could help avoid or minimize disruptions, for example:

• Working with businesses to encourage off-site storage of critical data
• Working with businesses to encourage redundancy in telecommunications and broadband networks
• Working with businesses to encourage planning to resolve any post-disruption employee accessibility issues
• Working with businesses to identify and implement pre-disaster business activities or initiatives that could complement community or county hazard mitigation plans and projects
• Broadening the industrial base with diversification initiatives, such as targeting the development of significant industrial clusters with growth potential that could provide stability during downturns that disproportionately impact any single cluster or major employer
• Undertaking business retention and expansion programs
• Putting in place a means of availability of surge capital/credit resources in case they may be needed by local governments and/or major employers
• Creating cluster networks, industrial ambassador programs, and financial capital funds to assist businesses with economic recovery post-disruption
• Establishing formalized mechanisms to realign and retrain any displaced workers post-disruption
• Improving workforce skills and cross training
• Tracking establishment “churn” and other data elements

E. Regular preparation of a current assessment of the regional economy, regular monitoring of the state of preparedness to mitigate and respond to disruptions, and regular measurement and evaluation of predisaster planning/preparedness and post-disaster response

As a regional resource, Southern Tier West can serve as a source for information; technical, funding, and grantsmanship assistance; provider of GIS services and web-based serving of information; convener of teams for mitigation planning efforts, etc.