By Kimberly Hopson
L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Local residents will have an opportunity to chart the course for a stronger and better St. John the Baptist Parish with a set of meeting scheduled for early next week.
St. John’s “One Parish, One Future: Building Back Better and Stronger” campaign is seeking innovative ideas and strategies to help the parish and its residents better prepare for future disasters. The National Disaster Recovery Framework and Community Advisory Committee will host informal open houses on Jan. 28, 29 and 30 for residents, community leaders and parish officials to share ideas about the parish’s future as it works to overcome Hurricane Isaac’s effects and plans for resiliency for future events.   
Paige Falgoust, communications director for St. John Parish, said the “One Parish, One Future: Building Back Better and Stronger” initiative is similar to a campaign the parish launched last year, the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, but is not entirely the same. Falgoust said that the CLUP is not dead in the water, but the plan was put on hold because of Hurricane Isaac.
“FEMA has a new plan, and this whole committee stemmed from that,” said Falgoust.
In reference to the CLUP, she said: “It’s actually still in the works. I don’t know exactly what phase we are (in). We had the meetings and compiled all of the information that they received from those meetings, but then the hurricane hit. It was put on hold because obviously some of those plans or concessions would need a change.”
The open houses will be relaxed and informal. Residents are encouraged to interact with others in attendance. Stations will be established by topic allowing residents to explore and share their ideas. Open houses will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the following locations:
• Jan. 28: West Bank Community Center, 173 E. Third St., Edgard
• Jan. 29: Regala Gymnasium, 200 Regala Park Road, Reserve
• Jan. 30: St. John Parish Civic Center, 2900 U.S. Highway 51, LaPlace
According to Falgoust, the goal of the CAC is to help establish a community-based, post-disaster vision for the parish for the next five to 10 years. It will also identify projects and project funding strategies best suited to achieve the vision, while developing local mechanisms along with state and federal partnerships to implement those projects.
The CAC consists of six committees including Community Planning and Capacity; Infrastructure; Health and Social Services; Housing; Natural and Cultural Resources; and Economics. The framework brings together major federal departments such as Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Defense, Interior, Health and Human Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, plus their state counterparts. The primary responsibility for planning and managing all aspects of recovery remains at the local level, however.
“These open houses will provide residents a unique opportunity to make a difference, to plan the recovery and future development of our community in a way that is resilient and sustainable,” said Parish President Natalie Robottom. “We encourage as many people as possible to attend one of the scheduled meetings to discuss our parish’s future.”
Falgoust said there will be boards set up for each of the six committees. Residents will then write their suggestions down on a note and post it to whichever board or boards strike their interest. She also said it’s important for people to know that these open houses are not sit-down meetings, and residents are free to come and go.
“They’re going to have questions posted on the boards to kind of get people’s minds turning, and then people will post on a note what their suggestion is. If they’re just interested in housing and they’re not interested in infrastructure, they can just go to the housing board,” she said. “It’s scheduled from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., but you don’t have to stay. It’s for people to come in, look at everything, give their feedback. Then if they want to leave they can leave.”
For continuing developments and other information and events related to the “One Parish, One Future: Building Back Better and Stronger” campaign, visit www.sjbparish.com.