Consultants working on an economic resiliency plan for Northwest Indiana reported on their progress at the latest Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission meeting.
The U.S. Department of Commerce designated NIRPC’s Economic Development District in late 2019, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic created a massive economic slowdown and forced some businesses to close entirely.
NIRPC contracted last year with TIP Strategies, of Austin, Texas, to formulate plans to help businesses cope with the next large economic upset resulting from a pandemic or natural disaster, assuming that one is likely to happen.
TIP Strategies also worked on the Northwest Indiana Forum’s Ignite the Region project in 2018.
It has conducted a survey of business owners on the challenges they expect in the future, and will meet soon with some of the area’s key employers.
By the end of July, NIRPC members were told, TIP Strategies will formulate strategies to help cope with the next crisis.
Also at Thursday’s NIRPC meeting, local officials learned about plans to deal locally with the effects of climate change.
Kathy Luther, NIRPC’s director of environmental programs, said the Climate Action Planning Task Force is being formed. It will develop a plan to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
The plan would be based on greenhouse gas emissions inventory that NIRPC created recently with help from ICLEI — Local Governments for Sustainability USA and the Indiana University Environmental Resource Institute.
The task force’s first meeting is planned for May 5.
Also Thursday, NIRPC approved a funding plan to upgrade safety systems at railroad crossings in several Northwest Indiana communities — three each in Hammond and LaPorte, two in the town of Porter, and one in Chesterton — for nearly $4.9 million, with less than $500,000 of that from local funds.
Tim Zorn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
