Background:

On September 8, 2021, the Central Florida Regional Planning Council (CFRPC) adopted Resolution 2021-9B authorizing the Executive Director to develop and execute the formation of the Heartland Regional Resiliency Coalition to promote a collaborative partnership within the seven inland counties (DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Okeechobee and Polk) of the Heartland Region focused on the resiliency goals for the future. The Resolution authorized the CFRPC to serve as the organizational and administrative entity of the Heartland Regional Resiliency Coalition to secure funding and lead programs for the benefit of the Region. These counties have collaborated since 2007 through Heartland 2060: Building a Resilient Region which has focused on many areas of sustainability.

CFRPC staff facilitated a Regional Resiliency Summit on Monday, January 31, 2022, to discuss a collaborative approach to position the Heartland Region, local governments, and agencies to better plan for resilience, meet new and changing state and federal regulations and guidelines, and enable greater access to resources for projects. One hundred percent of the participants, through polling, stated that a Regional Resiliency Coalition would be of benefit to the Heartland Region.

On April 1, 2022, the Heartland Regional Resiliency Coalition Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) became effective. Through the MOU, the Heartland Regional Resiliency Coalition provides a formal platform for local governments to: work together to create guidelines for the development of resilient communities; learn “Best Practices” from each other and from other regions; and, leverage regional resilience efforts to enhance funding and increase competitiveness for securing grants. The Coalition includes the Counties of Desoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Okeechobee, and Polk and the municipalities within as well as government agencies including but not limited to the Polk Transportation Planning Organization and the Heartland Regional Transportation Planning Organization, and entities serving the Heartland Region (the “Members”), that share a sense of community, economy, and critically important environmental resources. The Coalition has formed to advance local and regional responses to significant economic, community, and natural system disruption, provide technical assistance and support, and pursue collaborative solutions in addressing these effects on our communities.

Key aspects of the MOU include fostering regional cooperation and developing a regional resiliency action plan as identified below.