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Action Summary

AGENDA

1. Call to Order

2. Public Comments

3. Submitted Public Comments

4. Approval/Modification of Agenda

2013 Retreat Workshop

5. FY-14 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)

Attachment 5 is a brief summary of the traditional components of the upcoming FY-14 UPWP. Mr. Farmer will summarize the information, including HRPDC staff technical support to local government staff.

It is extremely important to note that the final FY-14 UPWP will also reflect discussion during the retreat. The HRPDC retreat input will be extremely important in setting the course of the Commission.

6. Developing a Process for Creating a Regional Strategic Plan

The main topic and central theme of the FY 2013 HRPDC retreat will be “Developing a Process for Creating a Regional Strategic Plan.” Attachment 6A is a brief overview of strategic versus operation planning.

Mr. Farmer will summarize State Code (Attachment 6B) regarding Planning District Commission responsibilities to conduct strategic plans for the region as required by §§15.2-4209 through 15.2-4212.

Items 1-7 and 9-12 on Attachment 6B have been and are currently the core functions of the HRPDC’s annual work program. Item #8, strategic planning however, has historically been a comprehensive collection of recurring efforts to produce technical analyses and a wide range of reports from Economic Forecasts, Bay Clean-up, Solid Waste Plans and Water Resources, to Emergency Management Plans, Transportation Plans and ongoing Environmental Education Plans.

In order to “conduct strategic planning” per State Code, staff is suggesting the HRPDC consider “Developing a Process for Creating a Regional Strategic Plan.” It is further recommended that the HRPDC approve staff moving forward to research best practices to develop “objective” evaluation criteria that will provide insight into those initiatives that create economic prosperity, effectively utilize resources throughout the region, and strengthen local governments and the region to aggressively compete nationally and internationally. Objective metrics will need to be developed that score and rate a whole host of candidate strategic initiatives. This effort will focus on existing local strengths, unique capabilities, opportunities to expand on and take advantage of local resources through collaboration and allow the region to better understand what economic initiatives might provide opportunities to diversify a regional economy heavily dependent upon the U.S. Defense industry and the Federal sector.

The retreat will be broken into four components:

1) A brief summary from Dr. Deborah DiCroce, former President of Tidewater Community College and currently the President and CEO of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation on the Foundation’s study to raise the larger question on the regional strategic plan.

Presentation: Regional Economic Competitiveness Inititative

2) A presentation from Mr. John Peterson and Mr. Burrell Saunders, Co-Chairmen of the Urban Land Institute’s Hampton Roads Reality Check. Reality Check Hampton Roads participants identified that collaboration as a region will provide the most effective and sustainable solutions to accommodate future growth. Leaders from the public, private and non-profit sectors indicated their support for regional collaboration to develop sustainable land use strategies and a preferred vision to guide future growth.

Presentation: Hampton Roads Reality Check

3) A presentation by Mr. Tom Frantz, President and CEO of Williams Mullen, a multi-state law firm, who is currently advocating consideration of the eventual creation of a new “Mega Region.”

Presentation: From Richmond to the Oceanfront - The Creation of a Mega Region

4) Mr. Farmer will provide a series of existing data driven metrics which characterize the region’s relative position with other regional economies and briefly discuss the level of travel interchange between localities, outside the region as well as domestic and international trade.

Mr. Farmer will then wrap up the retreat with a brief summary of the proposed concept of an objective tool to evaluate strategic initiatives. In addition, HRPDC Chairman Tom Shepperd will seek the Commission’s guidance to move forward on this initiative.

Handout 6 - Supplemental Information