Beech Tree News Network

Morgantown, KY -ApriJ 27, 2021 Serving as the regional host applicant, Butler County has recently engaged in a county-wide strategic planning process to support an update to the Regional Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan. Representatives from Butler County and several community organizations/stakeholders are actively engaged in this process with the Barren River Area Development District. Beginning this past January, Butler County formed a local Steering Committee to guide the effort at a grassroots level. The planning process builds upon previously completed planning efforts, including comprehensive planning at a city level and prior hazard planning at the county level.

Emily Hathcock, the Associate Director of Planning and Development at the BRADD stated, "It is our desire that this planning effort will provide an opportunity for each of our counties to create clear action plans for implementation of locally identified goals. Additionally, this new approach incorporates both our traditional Regional Hazard Mitigation Planning and our Regional Comprehensive Economic Development Planning efforts, and encourages County Steering Committees to approach goal setting from a more holistic perspective."

As the committee thinks critically about the many assets and strengths present in each community, committee members will begin to create goals around 11 key pillars: Affordable, Quality Housing; Civic & Leadership Development; Downtown Development; Economic Development; Health & Human Services; Infrastructure, Public Facilities & Services; Sense of Place; Tourism & Cultural Development; Transportation; and Workforce Development.  Committee members will also evaluate the impacts of potential hazards on each of these pillars, crafting mitigation strategies to protect people and property from future events.

Judge-Executive Flener said the following of the effort, "The Butler County steering committee is working towards a better tomorrow. As we plan around both hazard mitigation and community economic development practices, we are allowing each of our communities to take control of the future of the bright future.”

Butler County's Steering Committee Meetings are currently underway and scheduled for the fourth Tuesday of each month at 10 am. Those interested in joining the County steering Committee should contact Judge Flener, or Emily Hathcock with the Barren River Area Development District. Ms. Hathcock can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 270.781.2381. More information about the planning process can be found at BRADD's website for the effort: https://planning.bradd.org.