THE PROCESS

Community Engagement

The Just Imagine SWLA 50-Year Resilience Master Plan for Calcasieu and Cameron parishes is rooted in an inclusive, collaborative, broad community engagement process. The 10 catalytic projects and numerous plan recommendations in this document are a product of community input, local leadership guidance, and extensive partnerships received and created throughout a 10-month engagement process. Areas of focus within the Master Plan will be housing, infrastructure, economic development, community planning, natural and cultural resources, and other quality of life enhancements that will positively impact the region for decades. Documentation of the residents’ responses can be found in this report’s Appendix.

Overview Of The Planning Process

The planning process utilized in developing the Just Imagine SWLA 50 Year Resilience Master Plan included three steps:

1. Understanding

2. Testing

3. Deciding

Step 1 — Understanding

Step 1 utilized several strategies for reaching and engaging the public in conversations about their current needs and future visions for Southwest

Louisiana. Step 1 marked the kick-off of the community engagement process and set the framework for the engagement strategies and methods used throughout the process. The first step’s focus was listening to the residents and stakeholders. The team asked four questions:

• What do you love about your community?

• What were the problems in your community before the 2020 storms?

• What are the hurdles you are facing now?

• What are your dreams for the future of your community?

Upon receiving a robust response from all engagement platforms, the feedback was incorporated into one community-led vision statement and a series of goals for each of the five plan topic areas: Community Planning, Economic Development, Housing, Infrastructure, and Natural and Cultural Resources.

Step 2 — Testing

Step 2 continued the engagement process by focusing on solidifying the community vision statements and goals with local leadership, community leaders, stakeholders, and residents. The community had an opportunity to review the visions and goals and provide feedback on whether or not they were an accurate reflection of the region’s greatest needs and desires. Once confirmed, these visions and goals helped to establish 10 catalytic projects. Catalytic projects are highly visible projects that can be funded and implemented in the first 1-10 years to jump-start economic growth and improve infrastructure and quality of life. Each of the catalytic projects has elements that first address the needs stated by the community while also involving one or more of the five plan topic areas. During Step 2, the community had an opportunity also to review the proposed catalytic projects and provide feedback.

Step 3 — Feasibility & Deciding

Step 3 is the final step in the Just Imagine SWLA Resilience Master Plan process and resulted in the 50-Year Resilience Master Plan for Calcasieu and Cameron parishes. Engagement during this step focused on refining the 10 catalytic projects, testing project feasibility, advocating for additional plan-topic-area-specific recommendations, and strategizing ways that the community can achieve and implement all elements of the Master Plan. The catalytic projects and plan recommen- dations are articulated throughout this report. After a 12-month engagement process, the Just Imagine SWLA 50-Year Resilience Master Plan for Calcasieu and Cameron parishes captures the community’s ideas, visions, and goals for a resilient future for Southwest Louisiana, along with a series of actionable and implementable catalytic projects and plan recommendations which will guide Southwest Louisiana to recovery, resilience, and rebirth over the next 50 years.

The Community Foundation Southwest Louisiana would like to acknowledge and thank the many volunteers that made the community engagement process a success by allowing residents’ and local leaders’ voices to be heard and incorporated into the Just Imagine SWLA 50-Year Resilience Master Plan.

First round of community meetings to listen to the needs of residents and their visions for the future

METHODOLOGY & TIMELINE Engagement Approach

In developing a strategy for engaging the residents, stakeholders, and local leaders across Southwest Louisiana, the Just Imagine SWLA team took into consideration geographic distance, access to online tools and technology, and the rate of displacement following Hurricanes Laura and Delta. In response to these factors, the engagement approach included several tools, strategies, and meeting locations to accommodate the largest cross section of the population. These included: in-person community meetings, satellite ambassador meetings, online interactive maps, online idea walls, online surveys, and an interactive text-platform.

Engagement Timeline

The Just Imagine SWLA 50-Year Resilience Master Plan for Calcasieu and Cameron parishes is the result of twelves months of extensive community engagement with residents, stakeholders, Parish and City administrators, potential funders, and local community leadership. Over the course of those twelve months, the community had several opportunities to learn about the process, share ideas, and help shape visions for the future of Southwest Louisiana.

Step 1 — Understanding Community Meetings

Step 2 — Testing Community Meetings

Step 3 — Deciding Community Meetings

Community Planning Guiding Group

Housing Guiding Group

Economic Development Guiding Group

Infrastructure Guiding Group

Natural & Cultural Resources Guiding Group

Advisory Committee

Hello Lamp Post Signs Around the Community

Testing

Second round of community meetings to present the visions and goals and test ideas for 10 catalytic projects

Feasibility & Deciding

Last round of community meetings to explore feasibility and develop strategies for implementation

Hello Lamp Post Signs Around the Community

Ongoing Ambassador Meetings

Implementers Working Dinner

Meetings with parish and city administrators, potential funders, and local leaders to take community feedback and develop a list of catalytic projects for the region

Plan Topic Guiding Group Meetings

Continued conversations with local leadership to refine catalytic projects and create a list of plan recommendations with action steps and necessary implementation strategies

Plan Topic Guiding Group Meetings

2,500+ people participated

Project champions, lead entities, and working groups will continue to meet and implement catalytic projects

7,320 comments and ideas were received