A community View

1. Ronnie Bush, Alderman, City of Freeport A community View

2. Community Expectations • Community expectations for this planning process were low due to: • Planning fatigue • Tensions around the legacy of racial discrimination and present day disparities • Confusion over enforcement roles • Unproductive expectations about future interactions • Discouragement over a long-standing lack of progress

3. Key Turning Points • Needs Assessment allowed the process to directly address the concerns of residents and city staff. • Outreach efforts and endorsement by key neighborhood leaders resulted in higher turnout. • Endorsement and consistent participation by local elected officials gave the process legitimacy. • Building Cultural Competence training opened the door for new conversations between city staff and residents.

4. Key Turning Points • Meetings between SRI-facilitated working sessions helped build momentum. • Neighborhood Flood Experience mapping validated residents concerns and created a new communication tool for interactions with state and federal agencies. • Discussion of green infrastructure strategies helped identify near-term investments that could address flood impacts and offer additional neighborhood benefits. • Elevator speech exercise helped develop a consensus message for neighborhood residents to deliver to FEMA.

5. Moving Forward • Residents are preparing to meeting with FEMA in 2014. • They hope to take FEMA representatives on a neighborhood tour and also present: • Comments on the revised FEMA flood maps • A history of impact of flood regulation on neighborhood decline • A request that FEMA representatives work with neighborhood residents and city staff to address the disproportionate impact of the 50% rule and to identify assistance for maintaining and improving neighborhood homes.