rebuilding west liberty strategic report

AStrategicReport

ThisdocumentprovidesanoverviewofthevisionoftheWestLibertycommunityandthestakeholders,opportunitiesandfundingstrategiesavailabletoassistwithitsimplementation.ThechallengesfacingWestLibertyandMorganCountyaresignificant;butthiscommunityhascometogetherandhasbeenworkingsincethetornadodestroyedbuildingsandkilledseven,butitdidnotdestroythespiritofitspeople.

Thiscommunitywelcomesandneedsfinancialsupportfromindividuals,companies,organizationsandfoundations.Ifyouwanttoinvestinsomeoftheprojectideasmentionedinthisreportormakeadirectfinancialcontributiontohelp,theymaybedirectedtoOurFoundationforMorganCounty(OFMC).Communityleaderswillinsuretransparencyintheinvestmentofallcontributions.

WestLibertywillrebuildandrebranditscommunityintoaneco‐tourismdestinationlocationandleverageitscentrallocationinrelationtothemajorregionalnaturaltouristattractionsintheregion.ThisinitiativewillbeanattractionforvisitorsfromaroundtheU.S.andbeyond.

RebuildingWestLiberty, Kentucky

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RebuildingWestLiberty,Kentucky:AStrategicReport

OurFoundationforMorganCounty(OFMC)

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TableofContentsLetter of Transmittal……………………………………………………………..…1

Table of Contents ....................................................................................................... 2

Dedication .................................................................................................................. 3

Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................... 4

Executive Summary ................................................................................................... 6

1. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 11

2. Learning from Others - Greensburg, Kansas and Joplin, Missouri ................ 12

3. Stakeholder Input & Visioning Process .......................................................... 16

Master Planning Committee: .......................................................................... 22

Morgan County Long-Term Recovery Committee: ....................................... 23

B.E.G.I.N Again: ............................................................................................ 24

Funding Sources for Opportunities ................................................................. 32

4. Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 33

Appendix A – Daniel Wallach’s Comments & Input .............................................. 34

Appendix B – Community Comments & Input ....................................................... 38

Appendix C – Stakeholder Ideas and Survey Results ............................................. 46

Appendix D – Morgan County Long Term Recovery Team Services .................... 49

Appendix E – Foundational Support ....................................................................... 50

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DedicationTheseeffortsandreportarepreparedinmemoryofthosewhodiedonMarch2,2012:

EmmaDeanCecil

WilmerCecil

ClaytonDulin

BettySueEndicott

CharlesEndicott

ElizabethEndicott

Dr.C.C.Smith

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AcknowledgmentsThisdocumentrepresentsacollectionofalltheworkofWestLiberty’sresidents,governmentofficials,communityleadersandstakeholderswhohavebeenpushingforwardsincethestormstrucktheirtown.Withouttheirtirelesswork,WestLibertywouldnothavethisopportunity.Individualstakeholdersandgroupsintegraltothisprocessinclude:LocalGovernment&CommunityLeadersTimConley,MorganCountyJudge/ExecutiveJimRupe,MayorJohnWillStacy,StateRepresentativeHankAllen,President,CommercialBank&PresidentWestLibertyChamberofCommerceGailWright,ExecutiveDirector,GatewayAreaDevelopmentDistrictMasterPlanningCommitteeTimConley,MorganCountyJudge/ExecutiveGailWright,ExecutiveDirector,GatewayAreaDevelopmentDistrictMorganCountyLong‐TermRecoveryCommitteeExecutiveCommitteeMembers:MikeLindon,pastorofGraceBaptistChurch:ChairStephenHoward,ClerkJenniferSheets,co‐ownerofSheetsBookkeeping,TreasurerBrendaJones,CaseManagementChairPatMotley,retiredteacher:Co‐CaseManagementChairWesHolland,HabitatforHumanityRegionalTechnology&InnovationCenter(B.E.G.I.N.Again)PorterDailey,RTICChair,formerVicePresidentatMoreheadStateUniversity(MSU)andformerExecutiveDirectorInstituteforEconomicDevelopmentatMSUUniversityJohnathanGay,MSUInnovation&CommercializationCenterKimberlyJenkinsJodiStacy,BankoftheMountainsSidStuartGregoryCopley,UKCenterforAppliedEnergyResearch(CAER)OtherStakeholdersJohnathanC.Gay,MSUInnovation&CommercializationCenterRickJohnson,KentuckyScience&TechnologyCorporationDr.RodneyAndrews,UKCenterforAppliedEnergyResearch(CAER)GregoryCopley,UKCenterforAppliedEnergyResearch(CAER)ChrisBowersock,GatewayCommunityActionAgencyVicciLewis,MSUInnovation&CommercializationCenterPeterHille,ExecutiveVicePresident,MountainAssociationofCommunity&EconomicDevelopmentMACEDMarkMurphy,SmallBusinessDevelopmentCenterConsultantsandTechnicalAssistanceBobbyClark,MidwestCleanEnergyEnterprise,LLCJasonDelambre,MidwestCleanEnergyEnterprise,LLC

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JonathanMiller,GrassrootsFinancing,LLCJamieClark,BluegrassCommunity&TechnicalCollegeSethBrewer,KentuckyCompressedNaturalGasJohnCotton,AlternativeEnergiesKentuckyChadBraden,ResilentPower,LLCGingerWatkins,WatkinsConsultingVanMeterPettit,PettitArchitectsThisreportwasproducedbyMidwestCleanEnergyEnterpriseLLC(MCEE)undercontractbytheRegionalTechnology&InnovationCenter(B.E.G.I.N.).MCEEisconsultingfirmbasedinFrankfortKentucky.Formoreinformation,contactBobbyClark:www.mceenterprise.com;[email protected];or859‐227‐0263.Anelectronicversionofthisreportcanbefoundatwww.mceenterprise.com/RebuildingWestLiberty2013.pdf.

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ExecutiveSummaryOnMarch2,2012,thetownofWestLiberty,MorganCounty,Kentuckysufferedamassivetragedy. AnEF3tornadorippedthroughthiscommunityofabout3,400residents,killingseven, devastating nearly 400 homes, businesses and government structures, anddestroyingmuchofthedowntownarea.ThisdisasterfollowedanEF2tornadoonFebruary29,2012thatcausedpropertydamagebutnolossoflife.

Sincethestorm,thedebrishasbeencleanedupandthetownhastakenstockofitsdamage.A key issue is that a number of residents and businesses have yet to decide if theywillrebuildtheirhomesandbusinessesinthetown,orrelocateelsewhere.Thisdisasterofferstheopportunity forWestLibertytoexaminethepath itwasonpre‐disasterand imaginehowthiscouldbechangedtopursuenewopportunities:thechallengefacingresidentsofWestLiberty ishowtorebuild their town.Theycouldchoose torebuild tostatusquoorbuild a twenty‐first century infrastructure that will keep costs low for residents andbusinesses. This latter path could also develop job‐producing business opportunities toincreasethetaxbaseandattractnewresidentstoWestLiberty.Theintentofthisreportisto take stakeholderandorganizational inputaswell as lessons learned fromother smalltowns that have faced similar disasters to form a vision to move forward on theserebuildingefforts.

Unfortunately,WestLibertyisnotthefirstsmalltowninthelastdecadetosuffernearruinbyatornado.In2007Greensburg,Kansasandin2011Joplin,Missourihadlargeareasoftheir towns destroyed by tornados. Both of these towns faced a similar fate that WestLibertyfacesandbothofthesetownsdecidedtoseetheopportunitiesinthedevastation,torebuildsustainably,andtoputtheirtownsonabetterfootingthanbeforethestorm.ThesilverliningofthesedisastersforWestLibertyisthatthesetwotownsandtheirresilientresidents have created a standard thatWest Liberty can use as a roadmap formovingforwardwiththeirownvisionofhowtorebuildtheirtown.

To develop this report, numerous local meetings were held with key government andcommunitystakeholdersoverthecourseoffivemonths,beginningJune1,2012.Thehighpoint of thesemeetingswas a visit byDanielWallach onAugust 14, 2012.Daniel is theExecutive Director of Greensburg GreenTown and GreenTown Joplin, the key rebuildingentityinbothGreensburgandJoplin.Danielbroughtthestoriesofthesetowns’challenges,accomplishments,andvisionsforamoresustainablefuture.DuringDaniel’svisit,apublicmeetingwasheldwithapproximately55communitymembersandsomelocalandregionalofficialsattending.Duringthemeeting,Danielsharedhisexperiencesinrebuildingeffortsin Greensburg and Joplin and lessons learned. After his talk, the community askedquestions and provided broad ideas where they thought West Liberty could focus itsrebuildingefforts.

From these general ideas, numerous strategieswere developed by four different groupsworking in concert to rebuild West Liberty. The groups are: 1) Stakeholder InspiredSuggestion and Strategies, 2)Master Planning Committee; 3)MorganCounty Long‐TermRecovery Committee; and 4) B.E.G.I.N Again. All these groups are working diligently toprovidethegreatestefforttoWestLiberty’srebuilding.ThesegroupsdevelopedanumberofstrategiesandideasforrebrandingandrebuildingWestLiberty,whichwillbedescribedinthefollowingpages.

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StakeholderInspiredSuggestionandStrategies:

1. EcoTourism:Developingakeyopportunity forWestLibertyandMorganCountybased upon its central location in relation to the major regional natural touristattractions of Daniel BooneNational Forest, Natural Bridge State Park, Red RiverGorge, Cave Run Lake, Paintsville Lake, and the Licking River. Rebranding WestLiberty as an Eco Tourism destination would greatly increase this attraction bydevelopinglocalbusinesses,expandingadventuretourismactivities(kayaking,rockclimbing,hikingandcanoeing),sustainableinfrastructureandbuildingsandlodgingthroughout the town. Entrepreneurial development would be a key focus in thiseffort.

2. Mixed‐UseDowntownArea:Encouragingmixed‐usedevelopmentdowntownwillprovide24/7activityinWestLiberty’scentraldistrict.Thisactivitywillencouragerestaurantsandotherattractionstostayopenlaterprovidingresidentsandvisitorsevening activities to enjoy. These split function buildings will also allow lessexpensivemonthly rents for apartments due to the dual nature of the propertiesmortgage.Bycreatingbusinessincubatorspacewithinthisareathecommunitywilllayseedsforfuturegrowth.

3. BuildingaDowntownFreeWi‐FiHub: Developing a freeWi‐Fi hub throughoutdowntownWestLibertywouldcreateadrawforbothbusinessesandtouristsaliketolocatetheiractivitiesinthedowntownregion.

4. GreenWalkingCorridorsandPublicSpaces:Capitalizinguponthearea’snaturalscenic location and abundant greenspace encircling the downtown area andbordering the banks of the Licking River, West Liberty has the opportunity todevelop a green walking and biking corridor. This corridor will serve therecreationalandcirculationneedsoftheresidenceaswellasvisitors.

5. GeothermalTown:Constructingageothermal loopthroughout thecentralblocksof the downtown area. This geothermal loopwould be the first of its kind in thenationandprovidea foundation for therebuildingWestLiberty’sdowntowncoresustainably.

6. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Transportation and ElectricityMicro‐Grids:Withthecity’srecentacquisitionofElamUtilityCompany,thelocalgasutility,thereis a great opportunity to develop natural gas vehicle and electricity micro‐gridopportunities inWestLiberty.Thenatural gas vehicle conversions couldworkonlarge andmedium duty vehicles and be provided by centralized filling station(s)placedaroundtownandmanagedbythecity.

7. EmergencyMedicalServicesProposal:Thisproposalisdesignedtocapitalizeonan already strong ambulance service and streamline processes to strengthen thisservicetothecommunity.Theresultwillbeevenmoreefficientdataflowbetweenthe ambulance and the hospital, transition in care records available to otherfacilities, ability to accurately track EMS consumables and inventory for moreefficient consumable management, track EMS staff training and human resourcedata,QualityAssuranceandQualityImprovementreporting,automatedbillingandotherreportingrequirements.

8. IncreasePrimaryandSpecialtyHealthProvidersinEasternKentucky:EasternKentucky needs to improve recruitment of primary care providers and enhanceaccesstospecialtyhealthcareservicesintheregion.

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MasterPlanningCommittee:

1. Reconstruction of the Morgan County Community Center and AdministrativeOffices;

2. Reconstructionoftheold/historicMorganCountyCourthouse;3. ConstructionofanewMorganCountyExtensionServiceoffice;4. Construction of a newmulti‐purpose office/parking structure within the Morgan

CountyJudicialCentercomplex;5. ConstructionofanewMorganCountyRecoveryCenter;6. Relocation/new space for the Morgan County Senior Citizens Center within the

CommunityCenterfacility;and7. ConstructionofnewsewagelineextensionstotheRecoveryCenterproperty.

This committee also conducted assessments and provided technical assistance tobusinesses after the tornado. The findings have consistently shown that area smallbusinesses need and want to be more entrepreneurial, sustainable, and obtaintechnologicalassistance,butfinanciallimitationsremainthekeyobstacle.

MorganCountyLong‐TermRecoveryCommittee:

Morgan County Long‐Term Recovery Committee (LTRC) is working to serve the directneeds of victims of the tornado. LTRC is composed of volunteer community membersfocusedonworkingwithindividualsonacasebycasebasis. Homeownerswithpropertydamagefromthetornadoarethepriority,andpeoplewhoweretenantsbeforethetornadoreceivehelpsecondarily.

B.E.G.I.NAgain:

The acronymB.E.G.I.N Again stands forBuildingEntrepreneurial,Green, Innovative andNetworked‐communities and enterprises. This effort is a partnership between theMoreheadStateUniversity InnovationandCommercializationCenterand localnon‐profitRegionalTechnologyandInnovationCenter,Inc.

Basedonitsmissionandpurpose,itsgoalsare:

1. EmpoweringEntrepreneurialSmallBusinesses:Establishingadynamicinitiativeoffirst‐classbusinessmentoring,technicalassistanceandinnovation‐immersiongrantprogramsthatwillhelprebuildareabusinessesandcreatenewinnovation‐basedandhightechenterprises.

2. BuildingAffordableandHighlyEnergyEfficientReplacementPassiveHousing:Constructingnewfamilyresidencestoreplacethosethatweredestroyedorseverelydamagedbyusingtheultra‐lowenergyprinciplesofpassivehousing,aprocessthatisquicklybecomingthegoldstandardofenergyefficientresidentialbuilding,whileenablingthecreationofaKentucky‐basedgreenmanufacturingindustry,partneringwithnascentprogramsinLexingtonandMonticello,Ky.

3. DevelopingCleanEnergy,Sorghum&EnergyPark:TakingadvantageofWestLiberty’saccesstoaffordablewaterandbuildingonWestLiberty’sstatusasthesorghumcapitaloftheworldbyseedingademonstrationbio‐energyprojectaroundthisbreedofsugarcanewithenormousenergypotentialduetoitsparticularly

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strongsugarcontent,andacropthatcanbegrowninhillyareasthataren’ttypicallyconducivetoagriculture.Alsopromotetheincorporationofrenewableenergytechnologies,suchassolarPV,solarthermal,andmicro‐windturbines,wheneconomicallyfeasibleandstrategicallybeneficial.

4. Establishing a World Class Data Recovery Center: Supplementing existingtechnological and infrastructure resources, and building on IT synergy in thecommunity, enablingWestLiberty toemergeasan international leader in ITdatabackup.

5. Developing a twenty‐first CenturyModel for Rural Health Care: Ensuring ahighlyefficientWestLibertymedicalservicescommunitybyleveraginginformationtechnology,electronicmedicalrecords,andITsupport;andintheprocesscreatingtheseedsforhightechjobgrowthinMorganCounty.

As demonstrated by the success of Greensburg and Joplin, there are numerous fundingsources and approaches for developing these strategies. The key is working with thecommunity to develop their focused comprehensive vision for the rebuilding of WestLibertyandthenworkinginconcerttoidentifyandpursuefundingfortheimplementationofthestrategiestomakethevisionareality.

IfWestLibertycomes togetherandcan implementseveralof these rebuildinggoals, thiseffort can serveas ablueprint forother small towns inEasternKentuckyand the largerregionthatsufferfromnaturalandothereconomicandsocialdisasters.Betteryet,becauseofthetown’slocationinthefoothillsofAppalachia,are‐bornWestLibertycanserveasaclearmodel to the rest of rural America onhow to transform their towns into dynamic,twenty‐firstcenturyeconomies.

ThisstrategicplanfortherebuildingofWestLibertyhaspresentedmanyperspectivesandinsights intoopportunities for theresidentsofWestLiberty torebuild their town.At theendoftheday,thisstrategicplanhastobemuchmorethanadocumentandmustbecomealivingvisioncreatedandsharedamongWestLibertyresidentsandthelargerregion.

This document, and the numerousmeetings and conversationswhich have formed it, isonly thebeginning.The efforts to connect thedifferent ideas throughout the communityandorganizations and rebuildinggroupsworkingon theeffortmust continue. From thisdocumentandtheseefforts,acentralvisioncanbedevelopedthatbringsallthesediversechallenges and opportunities together to allow the community tomove together as one.This common vision is essential for raising funds outside the community for rebuildingefforts.

This community’s vision will not happen overnight, but must be focused on bringingtogetherall theelementsovermulti‐year longphases. If thisplan isexecuted, thenWestLibertywill have succeeded in retaining its culture and building a foundation for futuregenerationstocarryforwardthetorchforrebuildingtheirtowninasoundandsustainablefashionandcreatingbrighterandhealthierlivesforall.

Nextstepstoachievetheseendsinclude:

1. Develop comprehensive StrategicPlan for the community anddistribute thisplanforcommentandrevision;

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2. Continue to tell theWest Liberty story and its rebranding and rebuilding effortsregionally,statewideandnationally;

3. Continue fostering partnerships at the state and federal levels and among non‐profits,privateorganizationsandfoundations;

4. Prepare a strategic funding plan for the community identifying all the potentialresourcesandthestepsforacquiringthem;

5. Formalize communications among all the stakeholders and involved entities tocontinuethesharingofinformationthroughoutthecommunity;and

6. Promote opportunities for pilot projects and joint ventures of technologies andpracticesinWestLiberty.

ThesestepswillbeassistedandguidedbystafffromMidwestCleanEnergyEnterprise,LLC(MCEE),JonathanMillerfromGrassrootsFinancing,LLC,theMSUInnovation&CommercializationCenter,withinputfromkeygovernmentandcommunitystakeholdersandOurFoundationforMorganCounty(OFMC)AdvisoryBoard.

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1. IntroductionOnMarch2,2012,thetownofWestLiberty,MorganCounty,Kentuckysufferedamassivetragedy.AnEF3 tornadorippedthrough thiscommunityofabout3,400residents,killingseven, devastating nearly 400 homes, businesses and government structures, anddestroyingmuchofthedowntownarea.ThisdisasterfollowedanEF2tornadoonFebruary29,2012thatcausedpropertydamagebutnolossoflife.

LocatedinthemountainousregionofsoutheasternKentucky,MorganCountywasfoundedin 1823 andWest Liberty established as the county seat.Themedian annual income ofresidents was $25,026 (2010 U.S. Census). This figure is representative of other smalltowns in theEasternKentucky region.AhighpercentageofWestLiberty residents livedanddidbusinessinthissmalltownandkneweachotherwell.However,sincethestorm,anumberofresidentsandbusinesseshaveyettodecideiftheywillrebuildtheirhomesandbusinessesinthetownorrelocateelsewhere.AprimarychallengefacingresidentsofWestLibertyishowtorebuildtheirtown:theycouldchoosetorebuildtostatusquoorbuildatwenty‐first century infrastructure thatwill keep costs low for residents andbusinesses.Thislatterpathcouldleadtojob‐producingbusinessopportunitiestoincreasethetaxbaseandattractnewresidentstoWestLiberty.Thepurposeofthisreportistotakestakeholderandorganizationalinput,aswellaslessonslearnedfromothersmalltownsthathavefacedsimilardisasterstoformavisiontomoveforwardonrebuildingefforts.Thisreportisalsoan inventory of existing organizations and their efforts focused on rebuilding, anassessment of the needs of West Liberty and Morgan County, and a list of suggestedprojectsthatneedsupportandfinancialassistance.

Unfortunately,WestLibertyisnotthefirstsmalltowninthelastdecadetosuffernearruinbyatornado.In2007Greensburg,Kansashad95%ofitstowndestroyedbyatornadoandin2011Joplin,Missourihadalargeareadestroyedbyatornado.BothofthesetownsfacedasimilarfateandchallengesthatWestLibertyfaces.Bothof thesetownsalsodecidedtoseetheopportunitiesinthedevastationandtorebuildsustainablyandtoputtheirtownsonabetterfootingthanbeforethestorms.TheproverbialsilverliningofthesedisastersforWestLibertyisthatthesetwotownsandtheirresilientresidentscreatedastandardthatWestLibertycanuseasaroadmap formoving forwardwith theirownvisionofhowtorebuild.

IfWestLibertycomes togetherandcan implementseveralof these rebuildinggoals, thiseffort can serveas ablueprint forother small towns inEasternKentuckyand the largerregionthatsufferfromnaturalandothereconomicandsocialdisasters.Betteryet,becauseofthetown’slocationinthefoothillsofAppalachia,are‐bornWestLibertycanserveasaclearmodel to the rest of rural America onhow to transform their towns into dynamic,twenty‐firstcenturyeconomies.

Thisvisionalignswiththemultiplestakeholderinputs.TheWestLiberty‐based501(c)(3)non‐profit, the Regional Technology and Innovation Center, Inc. (RTIC) contracted withMidwestCleanEnergyEnterprise,LLC(MCEE)toassistwiththedevelopmentofthisreportandtofacilitatethemeetingsthatprovidedthisplan’scontent.Forthenextstep,theRTIChasengagedJonathanMillerofGrassrootsFinancing,LLCtoassistinfundraisingandlegalissues related to implementing this vision. Community leaders have organized OurFoundation for Morgan County (OFMC) that will be administered by the Blue GrassCommunityFoundation(BGCF).

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2. LearningfromOthers‐Greensburg,KansasandJoplin,MissouriThe residents and business communities ofGreensburg, Kansas and Joplin, Missouri haveboth been devastated by tornado damage andstood where West Liberty now stands. Thenumber of families affected and the amount ofproperty damaged in these two towns is vastlydifferent from West Liberty, but one thing theybothhaveincommonisaresourceintheformofconsultantDanielWallach.DanielistheExecutiveDirector of Greensburg Greentown andGreentownJoplin,twononprofitsthatarehelpingthetownsrebuildinanewdirection.Bothtownshavealsochosento lookattherebuildingeffortsas an opportunity to make better what onceexisted and was irretrievably destroyed bynatural disaster. The process was documented in a 13‐part reality series produced byLeonardoDiCapriocalled“Eco‐Town.”Thisoutlookandthenewpathtakenoffersseveralbenefits to the residents and business community of West Liberty, among them: moreeconomic opportunity, more energy efficient buildings, and a citizenry that is moreinvestedintheircommunityanditseconomicandphysicalgrowth.

As part of the engagement process, DanielWallachwas invited to Kentucky to tour thedamage,meetthelocalstakeholders,anddiscusstheexperienceshegainedinGreensburgand Joplin to the challenges being faced inWest Liberty. TheWest Liberty Chamber ofCommercefundedDaniel’strip.WewilldescribeDaniel’sobservationslaterinthisreport,butfirstletusexaminewhathappenedinGreensburgandJoplin.

Greensburg,KansasBefore the tornado,Greensburghadbeen formedin 1874 as a town serving as the county seat ofKiowaCounty.The cultureofGreensburg isveryconservativeandalsoreligious:thetownof1,500hosted nine churches. Similar to West Liberty’srelationshiptoEasternKentucky,Greensburgwasfairly representative of other small towns inWestern Kansas. Like West Liberty, residents ofGreensburg had a high percentage of multiplegenerations living in the town and a tight‐knitcommunity. From the economic perspective,commonalityincludeddifficultyretainingyoungerworkers who were moving to more prosperousurban areas prompting population and economicdecline. On the evening of May 4, 2007, an EF5tornado struck the small town of Greensburg,Kansasandchangedthetownforever.

ThetypicalKansastornadois75yardswide.ThetornadothathitGreensburgwas1.7mileswideandatthattimethetownwasonly2mileswide.Thetornadostartedatoneendofthe

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town and like a giant vacuum, movedacrosstheentire lengthoftownflatteningeverythinginitspath.Itdestroyed95%ofthe town, killed 11 individuals andwounded many more. After the tornado,Greensburg residents, like those in WestLiberty,immediatelyknewtheywantedtorebuildtheirtown.

Daniel Wallach is the individual who isperhaps most closely associated with thevision and rebuilding of Greensburg as asustainable community. Daniel originallymovedfromDenver,wherehegrewup,toruralKansasto liveinasmallcommunity.Forthefirstfiveyears,Danielandhiswiferan a co‐op for selling farm produce andwereconnected to localsustainabilityandcommunity building efforts. When thetornadostruckGreensburg,thepathofthetornadomissedhishouseby twomiles.Aweek later, the first community meetingwas held, and 500 attendees showed upfromallovertheregiontofigureoutwhatwas happeningwith the rebuilding effort.At thatmeeting,Danielpresentedapaperto several town leaders illustrating whatwaspossibleintherebuildingeffort.Withsupport from the mayor and keystakeholders, momentum began tocoalesce around the idea of not onlyrebuildingbutrebrandingthetownbasedontheseefforts.

Discussionsbeganontheintenttorebuildthe town sustainably. Local city officialsand business leaders got on board. Thecommunity reached out to the U.S.Department of Energy (DOE)whichwas interested inwhat could be accomplishedwithtechnical assistance from DOE and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).Many federal and state agencies, along with nonprofit, professional, and otherorganizations and individuals, also reached out to help Greensburg with professionalexpertiseormaterialorcashdonations.

Thecommunity’svisionstatementtobecomeamodelofsustainabilityandits innovativenatureallowedformuchmoremoneytobegeneratedthanwouldbeavailableinatypicalrebuilding situation.Many groups loved the idea of giving to a common vision thatwasforward thinking andbecause the effortwas grass roots based, they felt that themoneywouldbe spentwisely. It is estimated that in total,Greensburg receivedmore than$50

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million dollars for its rebuildingefforts. With that moneyGreensburg was able toimplement eight LEED buildingsfor a total of 25 green builtbuildingsand40homes.

Greensburg implemented anintegrated energy planningapproach to the energy needs ofthetownwithagoalofeventuallyoperating on 100% renewablepower. Included in this strategywaslarge‐scalewind,micro‐wind,geothermal,solar,andbiomass.Astudy conducted by NationalRenewable Energy Laboratory

(NREL) of the energy performance of 13 of the highest profile new buildings in townrevealedthattheseefficiencyimprovementsaresavingthetown$200,000ayear.

Another thriving aspect ofGreensburg’s rebirth is tourism.The townhas about 100,000visitorsayearfromallovertheworldwhocometoseethesustainablebuildingsandthevisionofa“townforthefuture.”Priortothestormithadbeensaidthat“WesternKansasiswhere ideascometodie.”Daniel fullybelieves that if the investmenthadnotbeenmadethenGreensburgwouldnotbetheretoday.

The challenge for Daniel and thetownofGreensburgwastoprovethat old adage about WesternKansas incorrect. Their effortscontinue to be proven by thevisitors and the interest in thetown. The visitors includedomestic and internationaltravelers,touristsandcommunityleaders looking to emulate theirsuccess.Mostvisitorsaretakenbythe comeback story. Every townneeds a niche to make it adestinationworthyofavisitfromapassionategroupofpeoplewhowanttocomethere.Thereisa44‐room hotel in Greensburg that isconsistentlyfull.

Now Greensburg is a town with a new lease on life and growing international namerecognition. The population is nearly back to 800, which is 47% lower than before thestorm, but it is growing and more importantly, providing a foundation for sustainableeconomicgrowth.GreensburgisanidealmodelforWestLibertythatshowseventhoughitwassmallitcoulddogreatthingsanddevelopacommunitythatistreasuredbyresidents

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and organizations around the world. This is a similar situation to what is occurring inJoplin,Missourirightnow.

Joplin,MissouriOnMay22,2011anEF5tornadorippedthroughthetownofJoplin,Missouri.Thetornadoresultedinmorethan160deathsandnearly1,000injuries.ItwasthemostdeadlytornadointheUnitedStatessince1947andtheestimateddamagewas3billiondollars.Joplinwasestablished in 1873 and with a population of 50,000 is significantly larger than WestLibertyorGreensburgbutstillhasaveryruralandhome‐townfeel.Thelocalcommunityiswellestablishedandveryclose‐knitforatownofitssize.

DanielWallachmetwiththeleadershipofJoplinwhentheytraveledtoGreensburg,KansasfiveweeksaftertheJoplintornadoforaRecoverySummit. InSeptemberof2011,heandGreenTownstaffstarted travelingto Joplinonaregularbasis,meetingpeople,whowereinterested insustainablebuildingandgreen living,and learningabout theresourcesthatlocalpeoplealreadyhaveavailable,conveningmeetings,listening,andgettingtoknowthecommunity. Not long after, Greentown Joplin was launched. The missionof GreenTownJoplinistohelpcraftasustainablevisionforJoplin'sfutureandtheyhavepartneredwithseveral localorganizationstoofferguidancetothelocalrebuildingefforts.Fromworkingwith these two towns, Daniel has developed a number of broad insights concerning thechallengesandopportunitiesofrebuildingaftersuchatragedy(SeeAppendixA).

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3. StakeholderInput&VisioningProcessStakeholder engagement is essential for any strategic plan. In this circumstance,stakeholdersrangeacrossanumberofgroupsandgeographicfocuses:local,regionalandnational. At the local West Liberty level, stakeholders include: individual communitymembers, church leaders,businessowners,businessassociations,vendors, local cityandcounty government officials. At the regional level: planning groups, interest groups,business development organizations, non‐profit economic development groups, vendors,state agencies, universities, and funding interests. At the national level: federaldepartments, nonprofits and for profit donation sources, specialized universities, andvendors.Specificstakeholderswillbeidentifiedinthissectionanddetailsgivenhowtheirinputandresourcescanbebroughttogethertomeetthevisionofthisstrategicplanning.

Onbehalfof theRegionalTechnologyand InnovationCenter, Inc.,MidwestCleanEnergyEnterprise (MCEE) engaged key stakeholders including Judge Executive Tim Conley,GatewayAreaDevelopmentDistrict ExecutiveDirectorGailWright, StateRepresentativeJohnWillStacy,HankAllen(CommercialBankPresidentandChamberPresident),andDr.Rodney Andrews and Gregory Copley of UK Center for Applied Energy Research. Fromtheseconversations,MCEEwasable todetermine thebasicparametersof the rebuildingeffortofWestLibertyandalsoidentifyallthekeystakeholdersneededtomoveforwardaswellastheformatforthepublicstakeholdermeeting.ThepublicstakeholdermeetingwasheldAugust14,2012andanumberofsmallermeetingswerescheduledforthatdayandthe following day. In order to frame this stakeholder meeting, Daniel Wallach fromGreentownwas invited to town tohelp share thework thathasoccurred inGreensburgandJoplin.Additionally,ameetinginLouisvillewasheldonAugust15,2012forDanieltomeet with County Judge Executive Tim Conley and Gateway Area Development DistrictExecutiveDirectorGailWrightwhowereattendingtheGovernor’sLocalIssuesConference.After thatmeeting,Daniel gaveapresentationat theGovernor’sLocal IssuesConference(See Appendix B for the overview of these engagement conversations). These meetingscombined all the other meetings input and set a path for this report and furtherengagement inWest Liberty for approaching funding and engaging the existingworkinggroupswhoarerebuildingthetown.

OpportunitiesforRebuildingWestLibertyThreegroupshavebeenworkinginparallelonvisionsandstrategiesforrebuildingWestLiberty. The groups are: 1) Master Planning Committee; 2) Morgan County Long‐TermRecoveryCommittee;and3)B.E.G.I.NAgain.AllthesegroupshavebeenworkingdiligentlytoprovidethegreatestefforttoWestLiberty’srebuilding.

StakeholderInspiredSuggestionsandStrategies:

1.EcoTourism:

A key opportunity ofWest Liberty is its central location in relation to numerous majorregionalenvironmental touristattractionsofDanielBooneNationalForest,NaturalBridgeState Park, Red River Gorge, Cave Run Lake, Paintsville Lake, and the Licking River.Rebranding West Liberty as an Eco Tourism destination would greatly increase thisattractionbydeveloping localbusinesses,expandingadventuretourismactivities(kayaking,rock climbing, hiking and canoeing), sustainable infrastructure and buildings and lodgingthroughout the town. Additionally, this eco‐tourism offeringwould extend to hunting and

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fishingenthusiasts,bystocking localwaterbodiesandprovidingdesignatedgamezones forhuntingandfacilitiesforgamepreparation.ThisfocuswillintegratenicelywiththeEasternKentucky Foothills Eco‐Agritourism (FEAT),which covers theKentucky counties of Carter,Elliott,Morgan,Menifee, andWolfe. Ourmission is to brand FEAT as a buzzword for acultural and heritage tourist destination by 2020. The artists, musicians, muralists,photographers,authors, crafters,artisans,agri‐tourism sites,adventure tourism sites, farmstays,bedandbreakfasts,restaurants,andlodgingsoftheareawillbealignedacrosscountylinestobuildthelocaleconomy.

2.Mixed‐UseDowntownArea:

By encouraging mixed‐use development downtown, it will provide 24/7 activity inWestLiberty’s central district. This activitywill encourage restaurants and other attractions tostayopenlaterprovidingresidentsandvisitorseveningactivitiestoenjoy.Thesesplitfunctionbuildingswillalsoallowlessexpensivemonthlyrentsforapartmentstobechargedduetothedualnatureofthepropertiesmortgage.

3.BuildingaDowntownFreeWi‐FiHub:

Accessibilitytotheinternetisessentialforcommerceintoday’sfastpaceddigitalworld.Itisalso an expectation for visitors. Developing a freeWi‐Fi hub throughout downtownWestLibertywouldcreateadrawforbothbusinessesandtouristsaliketolocatetheiractivitiesinthedowntownregion.Itwouldalsoactasanincentiveforbusinessestolocatedowntownbyeliminatingafixedmonthlyexpense.

4.GreenWalkingCorridorsandPublicSpaces:

Given its natural scenic location and the abundant amount of greenspace circling thedowntown area and bordering the banks of the Licking River, West Liberty has theopportunitytodevelopagreenwalkingandbikingcorridor.ThiscorridorwouldnotonlylinkupthetownfromitsbeautifulOldMillParkonthewest‐sidetotherecreationalparksonthesoutheast, but also provide a pedestrian bridge across the Licking River to connect thedowntown to the regional healthcare center. This greenspace would provide pedestrianconnectivity to80%of the townandpromotehealthy living forboth residentsandvisitorsalike,butalsoprovideauniquescenic trail thatcanbe thepathway for telling thestoryofWestLiberty’srebuildingefforts. Thiswilldirectlyimpactthecommunity’sattempttobuildeco‐tourism.

5.GeothermalTown:

AnothercentralopportunityisthedevelopmentofageothermalloopthroughoutthecentralblocksoftheWestLibertydowntownarea.Thisgeothermalloopwouldbethefirstofitskindin the nation and provide a foundation for the rebuildingWest Liberty’s downtown coresustainably.Byconnecting into the loopandpracticingbasic sustainablebuildingmethods,businesseswillgreatlyreducetheirmonthlyutilitycostsforheatingandcooling.Alsotheloopwill act as a draw for engineers, sustainability practitioners and local leaders from othertownsandcitiesthroughouttheworld.

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‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐TechnicalOverviewofGeothermalTownOpportunity:

GeothermaltechnologyhasbeeninuseinAmericasincethe1940s,butonlyrecentlyhasthisconceptbeenappliedtomultiplebuildings.Theconceptwouldestablishamulti‐blockgeothermalloopsystemthatwouldconnectdozensofbuildingstogether.TheloopwouldbecomposedofnumerousverticalwellsextendingdeeplyintothelimestoneofthegroundofWestLiberty.Limestoneisanespeciallygoodconductorforgeothermaluseandissoftandeasytodrill.Thepolyethylenepipethatrunsthewaterthroughthewellswilllastwellover100yearsandrequiresnomaintenancebelowground.Thereareseveraloptionsforthe placement of the geothermal wells. A good example is a 100 well field in Tulsa,Oklahoma where the developers built a Town Square type park over it with anamphitheater for concerts and events like a farmers market. Another option would berunningwellsbeneathMainStreet ina loopthatrunsparallel to thestreet,whichwouldallowforexpansioninbothdirectionscreatingageothermalcorridor.

This geothermal loop will create jobs and potential businesses to serve the local andregionalcommunity.Thegeothermalloopwouldbeaboonforlocaldrillingvendors,whoare located in theregionandwhohave theequipmentnecessary for theworkaswellasregionaltechnicalvendorswiththeknowledgeofhookingupthesophisticatedpipingandheat pump equipment. This large high profile initial project in town can serve as aneducational opportunity for local vendors who can then offer these services to otherpropertiesthroughouttownandthelargerregion.Theprojectcancreatenewskilledjobsinatwenty‐firstcenturyindustrythatislocallysustainableandcanneverbeoutsourced.

ThegeothermalloopwillservebothasanincentivetobusinessestorelocateandrebuildindowntownWestLibertyduetothedrasticreductioninheatingandcoolingcostsforthesebuildingsanditwillalsoserveasanopportunitytohavethesebuildingsbuiltefficiently.Asthe loop is being constructed, information can be disseminated to prospective buildingprojects toshowprojectedsavingsbasedonbuildingwithenergyefficientstrategiesandtheannual square footoperating cost vs. building traditionally.This education campaigncanbechampionedbytheChamberofCommerceandthecountythroughtheCountyJudgeExecutive’soffice.Thisprocesswillleadtoahighqualityofbuildingstockthatwillhaveahighervaluethantraditionallybuiltbuildingswithlargermonthlyoperatingcosts.

Herearesomepotentialbenefitsasseeninasimilarstudyforageothermalloopsystem:

40%to60%reductioninheatingandcoolingcostsforbusinesses; Sharedwells as opposed to individualwells reduces the cost of the systemby as

muchas50%; Provideanopportunitywhenlayingthelooptoupdatesewerandlayinotherutility

infrastructureincludingreplacingoverheadpowerlineswithlinesundergroundtoallowforamuchmoreattractivestreetscape;

Drilling300ftwellsunderMainStreet,willreducethefullcommitmentofbuildablelandforthefuture;

Option to construct central cooling tower for storing cooling andheating load forextremehotandcolddays;

Seekutilityincentivesandgrantsfordesigningandputtinginsystem;and Creationofanewmunicipalasset.

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Justover100yearsago,wewerehavingasimilarconversationtotheonewearehavingtoday, except then itwas about piping cleanwater to homes and businesses. Back thencommunitieslikeWestLibertygotleftbehindandsomeareasofEasternKentuckydidnothavecitywateruntilsevenoreightdecadeslater.Whatwehavetodayisnecessitymeetingopportunity,andtheresultcanbeWestLibertynotbeingleftbehindbutblazingatrailforothercommunities to follow.This typeofdistrictheatingandcooling isbeingutilizedalloverEurope, and eventually theUnited Stateswill follow suit; thequestion today iswillWestLibertybeamongthefirstoramongthelast?

6.CompressedNaturalGas(CNG)TransportationandElectricityMicro‐Grids

Withthecity’srecentacquisitionofElamUtilityCompany,thelocalgasutility,thereisagreatopportunity todevelopnaturalgasvehicleandelectricitymicrogridopportunities inWestLiberty.Thenaturalgasvehicleconversionscouldworkon largeandmediumdutyvehiclesandbeprovidedbycentralizedfillingstationsplacedaroundtownandmanagedbythecity.TheCNGpoweredmicro‐gridcanprovide100%backupofelectricityandcostprotectiontothelocalgridandbusinessesandresidentsthroughtheinstallationofmini‐gasturbineunitsthroughouttown.

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TechnicalOverviewofCNGOpportunities

Naturalgashasbeenaworkingenergyfuelforhalfacentury,butitisjustnowbecomingapparenthowimportantnaturalgasistoAmerica’scurrentandfuturepowerneeds.Itiscleaner than other fossil fuels and it is abundant. Therefore it is economical, like dieseloncewasandcoalhasbeen.Thetechnologyisavailabletodaytomakethesepossibilitiesbecomerealities.Naturalgasreserveshavebeenfoundinthiscountryonthescaleoftheformerly vast, now ever‐depleting oil reserves of the Middle East. As a result of theabundance of natural gas its cost as a commodity has dropped dramatically; analystsbelieveitwillbelowforyearstocome. Asaresult,powergenerationatpowerplantsismoving increasingly away from coal to natural gas (AEP’s Big Sandy plant is a localexample). Largepowergeneratorsarebeingmadenowforruralapplicationsto liberatelocal power utilities and customers from the increasing costs of power that has gottenmore and more expensive to produce from coal. West Liberty could install a powergenerator that converts200MCFperday into1Megawattofpower forpublicbuildingsandpayingcustomersalike.

The American industrial spirit has been quick to seize the opportunities afforded bycheaper, abundant natural gas. It now costs twice asmuch to power a vehiclewith oil‐based fuel as with natural gas. Automanufacturers have seen the writing on the wall:vehicles built specifically to run on natural gas are being certified by the EPA weekly.Coincidentally,thelargestmanufacturerofnaturalgasenginesforvehiclesisinLouisville,Kentucky.

West Liberty’s recent acquisition of Elam Utility Company, the local gas utility, was aprogressive move that could make West Liberty a model to other municipalities inAppalachia‐ and anywhere that has natural gas reserves. Already Somerset, Kentucky isinstalling a NG fueling stations for its fleet. West Liberty now has access to a naturalresource that can power the community’s recovery and future growth. It is a rareopportunity.

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Theuniquecharacteristicofnaturalgasisthatitcanbeusedtopowerjustaboutanything.Itprovidesheatforbuildings,fireforcooking,fuelforvehicles,andelectricityfrompowergeneration. Toamunicipalitywith itsownnaturalgassupply itcouldbeacost‐effectivesourceofheatinpublicbuildings,thefuelforthefleet’smid‐sizedandheavy‐dutyvehicles,and the source of electricity from natural gas‐burning power generators. In addition,naturalgascanbearevenuestreamtothemunicipalitythatwantstoserveasthenaturalgas utility for the community’s private residences and businesses. The resulting liquidsextracted from high‐BTU natural gas during processing have a high resale value in theagrichemical and plastic manufacturing industries. West Liberty, with its wells andpipelines,canbuildafuelingstationtosupplyanewfleetofvehiclesthatrunsonnaturalgas. That station can fuel the private vehicles that will take advantage of the cheaper,locally‐producedfuelingoption.

Power from natural gas does not have to be the only fuel source. It shouldn’t be. Anycommunitythathassurvivedcatastropheknowsthevalueofhavingback‐upsystemsandalternatives. Natural gas routinely fuels back‐up furnaces connected to a geothermalsystem forwhen the temperaturedrops tobelowthe thresholdatwhichgeothermalcanadequately heat a building. Solar panels are increasingly common as ameans to heat abuilding’swaterheater.Naturalgasheatsschoolsandnursinghomes24/7.Itcanpowergenerators to light the hospital all day and night; and it powers the back‐up generatorslocatedrightatthebuildingincasestormsdamagethepowerlinescomingfromthemaingenerator’ssub‐station.WithalittleworkthisnaturalresourcewillbebroughttofruitionasavitalcomponentinWestLiberty’srenaissance.

7.EmergencyMedicalServicesProposal:

ThisproposalbyNortheasternKentuckyRegionalHealth InformationOrganization(NeKYRHIO) is specifically designed to capitalize on an already strong ambulance service andstreamline processes to strengthen this service to the community. The resultwill be evenmore streamlined data flow between the ambulance and the hospital, transition in carerecords available to other facilities, ability to accurately track EMS consumables andinventory formoreefficientconsumablemanagement, trackEMS staff trainingandhumanresourcedata,QualityAssuranceandQualityImprovementreporting,automatedbillingandotherreportingrequirements.

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TechnicalOverviewofMedicalServices:

ThetornadoonFriday,March2,2012hadadevastatingeffectonthecityofWestLibertyand the local hospital, Morgan Co ARH Hospital, which sustained damage. This 25‐bedCritical Access Hospital was forced to move patients. The call was made to the localambulanceservicetorespond,notonlytomovepatients fromthe facilitybut torespondand transport injured individuals. This local ambulance service responded immediatelywithsevenavailableambulancesdispatchedtomeettheneed.

Thisproposal foremergencymedicalserviceswill improvecare to thecommunity in thefollowingways:

The end result will be an improved experience for the community and a moreefficientambulanceservice.Oneofthemajorwaysinwhichthequalityofcarewill

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be improved is through the hospital dashboard. This dashboard streamlinescommunicationsbetweenmedicalpersonnelworkinginambulancesandhospitals.The hospital dashboard facilitates improved care for patients and allows hospitalstafftobettermanageemergencycare.Communicationisautomatedasinformationrecordedinthefieldautomaticallycommunicatestothedashboard.Thedashboarddisplays incoming patient information which includes patient condition,assessments,history,proceduresandmedications.Thiswillincreasetheamountoftime medical staff will have to respond and provide optimal care. The hospitaldashboard provides advance notification through up‐to‐the‐minute electronicArrivalBoardprovidinga largescreenview in theER,displayingpendingarrivalsandtheirconditionsbythereceivinghospital.Thistechnologyallowshospitalstafftoknowwhichpatientsareenrouteandprovidesenoughtimetopreparespaceandtreatment. In the case of major trauma or mass casualty incidents, additionaldoctorsandstaffcanbecalledinbeforepatientsarriveatthehospital.

The goal of the project is to improve patient care by providing better datamanagement to EMS through comprehensive electronic reporting. This will savetime over papermethods and improve patient care through information sharing.This proposal will replace all of the computer systems with new systems andprovidetoughnotebooks foreachambulance.Thisproposalwillalsoprovidedatabackup services anddisaster recovery andoffsite centralized computer commandcenter. The systems installed will manage inventory to allow for tracking ofconsumablecostsandappropriateassociationwithpatientrunreports.

TheNeKYRHIOhasaHealthResourcesandServicesAdministration(HRSA)granttoprovideadditionalservicestoprovidersandhospital facilities. Currently,NeKYRHIO isworkingcollaborativelywithMorganCountyARHon twodifferentgrantswhichwereinplacepriortothestorm.

8.IncreasePrimaryandSpecialtyHealthProvidersinEasternKentucky:

EasternKentuckyneedstoimproverecruitmentofprimarycareprovidersandenhanceaccesstospecialtyhealthcareservices intheregion.Someofthespecialtiesservicesneeded intheregion include cardiology, neurology, pulmonologists, general surgery, gastroenterology,orthopedics,sportsmedicine,oncologyandobstetrics.Successfulrecruitmentofthesehealthcareproviderswillimprovehealthofcitizensintheregionandwillcreatehighpayingjobs.

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WestLibertyhasanopportunity to recruitprimaryandsecondaryhealth careprovidersand for its citizens to benefit greatly. It is important to encourage collaboration andpartnershipsbetweenhealthcareproviderswithinandoutside theregion.The followingreportshighlighttheneedforcareprovidersandsystemicchangesinlifestyle:

JerryL.RitchieattheUniversityofKentuckystatedina2008reportthat,“InthestateofKentucky,specificallyEasternKentucky,diabetes,hypertension,obesity,andheartdiseasearewellabovethenationalaverage.IntheEasternKentuckyarea,adultdiabetesrisesasmuchas74%abovethenationalaverage. . . .ThehypertensionrateinKentuckyis29.4%versusanationalaverageof25%...Heartdiseaseistheleadingcauseofdeathinthestate

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ofKentuckywith“Seventy‐threeofKentucky’s120countieshav[ing]CVDmortalityratesabove thenationalaverage,and20counties thatexceed thenationalaverageby25%. In2000,theAmericanHeartAssociationrankedKentucky48th inthenation…Accordingtothe Kentucky Institute of Medicine, ‘the rate of obesity is increasing rapidly both inKentuckyandthenation.Anestimated29%ofadultKentuckiansareobesecomparedwitha US average of 24% . . . Obesity affects over one‐fourth of Kentucky residents andcontributes toomany other diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, whichhavebeenpreviouslymentionedatrateshigherthannationalaverage.ThedeathrateforKentuckiansis18%higherthanthenationalaverage...”

According to a 2010 article in theCourier Journal, Kentucky obesity rates rose from 17percentto32percentandthelatestnumbersrankKentuckythefourthfatteststateinthenation.

The Trust for America's Health (TFAH) issued a report titled “F as in Fat: How ObesityThreatens America's Future 2012," which provided a troubling report card for theCommonwealthofKentucky.Thereportincludedthefollowingprediction:“AdultObesityRateinKentuckyCouldReach60.1Percentby2030andRelatedHealthCareCostsCouldClimbby17.6Percent....Overthenext20years,obesitycouldcontributeto594,058newcases of type 2 diabetes, 1,278,342 new cases of coronary heart disease and stroke,1,175,750 new cases of hypertension, 748,558 new cases of arthritis, and 176,260 newcasesofobesity‐relatedcancerinKentucky.”

MasterPlanningCommittee:AfterthetornadoaMasterPlanningCommitteewasformedthatincludesTimConley,MorganCountyJudge/Executive;GailWright,ExecutiveDirectorofGatewayAreaDevelopmentDistrict,andotherlocalstakeholdersandcityofficials.

ReconstructionneedswereoneofthehighestprioritiesaddressedbytheMasterPlanningCommittee.OutlinedbelowarethebasicelementsoftheMorganCountyReconstructionProject.TheGatewayAreaDevelopmentDistrict,onbehalfoftheMorganCountyFiscalCourt,theMorganCountyExtensionService,theMorganCountyHealthDepartmentandtheMorganCountyWaterDistrict,isfinalizingthedevelopmentandfundingofaReconstructionProjectthatwillreconstructseveralpublicfacilitiesand2newfacilitiesinWestLiberty.Theprojectsinclude:

ReconstructionoftheMorganCountyCommunityCenterandAdministrativeOfficesforlocalgovernmentandagencies

Reconstructionoftheold/historicMorganCountyCourthouse ConstructionofanewMorganCountyAgriculturalExtensionServiceoffice.Thenew

office is being located on the edge of town with access to agricultural land.Construction of a newmulti‐purpose office/parking structure within the MorganCounty Judicial Center complex. Construction of a new Morgan County RecoveryCenter.ThenewRecoveryCenterwillbeamulti‐purposefacilityforthecitizensofWest Liberty and the other communities in Morgan County and the surroundingregion.Thefacilitywillprovidehealthandwellnessresourcesandequipmentalongwith programs and outreach efforts focused on wellness and fitness activities.

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Additionally, negotiations are underway to have an Appalachian RegionalHealthcare primary care clinic located within the Recovery Center in order toprovide residents with additional health care services access. Other specific orcomplimentaryprogramsandservicesarebeingreviewedbytheAreaDevelopmentDistrictandtheFiscalCourt.

Relocation/new space for the Morgan County Senior Citizens Center within theCommunityCenterfacility.

NewsewagelineextensionstotheRecoveryCenterproperty.Totalreconstructionprojectcostwillbeapproximately$27,000,000andthe financing for thisGatewayArea Development District effort will be provided by insurance proceeds, grantsprovidedbyFederalEmergencyManagementAgency(FEMA),AppalachianRegionalCommission(ARC)andtheCommunityDevelopmentBlockGrantProgram(CDBG)programsalongwithsignificantsupportandassistancefromtheCommonwealthofKentucky’s Department for Local Government and the Kentucky TransportationCabinet. An additional important source of financial assistance for this project iscoming through the U.S. Treasury’s New Markets Tax Credit Program with theparticipation of several Community Development Enterprises and through thecapitalinvestmentsintotheprojectthroughU.S.Bancorp,JPMorganChase,andtheCommercialBankofWestLiberty.

The project financing transaction is expected to close and reconstruction/constructionfundsavailablebyearlyDecember2012.

Duetotheapproximately47businessesthatweredamagedordestroyed,rebuildingtheeconomicbasewasoneofthehighestpriorities.TheSmallBusinessDevelopmentCenter(SBDC);MountainAssociationofCommunity&EconomicDevelopment(MACED);andtheMoreheadStateUniversityInnovation&CommercializationCenterorganizedaBusinessTechnicalAssistanceGroupthatassessestheneedsofthebusinesscommunityandprovidestechnicalassistanceasneeded.

MorganCountyLong‐TermRecoveryCommittee:MorganCountyLong‐TermRecoveryCommitteeisworkingtoservethedirect,personalneedsofvictimsofthetornado.Theydosobyidentifyingmeansofhelpingvictimsreplacepersonalneedsthatcan’tbemetbyeitherinsuranceorfederalassistanceforavarietyofreasons.Thiscommitteecoordinatesresidentialrepairswithout‐of‐areavolunteersthatofferservicesinskilledtrades,minorrepairandcleanup.LindaWattersonfromtheBigSandyAreaDevelopmentDistrictprovidesstaffingservices.

ThemembersoftheExecutiveCommitteeare:

MikeLindon,pastorofGraceBaptistChurch:ChairStephenHoward:ClerkJenniferSheets,co‐ownerofSheetsBookkeeping:TreasurerBrendaJones:CaseManagementChairPatMotley,retiredteacher:Co‐CaseManagementChairLindaWatterson,BigSandyADD:CaseManagerBusinessTechnicalAssistanceGroup(SBDC,MACED&MSUInnovation&CommercializationCenter)

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TheMLTRChascontactedmorethan1,000familiesinMorganCountysincethetornadoandprovidedservicesasneeded.SeeAppendixBforasummaryoftheirservices.

B.E.G.I.NAgain:B.E.G.I.NAgain isan initiativedevelopedby theWestLiberty‐based501(c)(3)non‐profit,the Regional Technology and Innovation Center, Inc. (RTIC) and the Morehead StateUniversity Innovation & Commercialization Center, and is a group represented by anumber of local individual stakeholders and outside regional partners. The acronymB.E.G.I.N Again stands for Building Entrepreneurial, Green, Innovative and Networked‐communitiesandenterprises.ThisteamisacollaborationbetweenMidwestCleanEnergyEnterprise, Jonathan Miller of Grassroots Financing, LLC, Regional Technology andInnovationCenter,theMSUICC,andKentuckyScienceandTechnologyCorporation.RTICboardincludesPorterDailey,Chair,JohnathanGay,KimberlyJenkins,JodiStacy,SidStuartand Gregory Copley. Dependent on seed funding, their initial projects include manyoptions.ThegoaloftheB.E.G.I.N.AgaininitiativeistohelpcoalescethenumerousvisionsofWest Liberty into a large list of strategies that the community can chose from. Thesestrategies will rebrand the community and provide an exciting endeavor for outsidelenderstosupportandotherstoinvestinrebuilding.

1.EmpoweringEntrepreneurialSmallBusinesses:

Establishingadynamic initiativeof first‐classbusinessmentoring, technicalassistanceandinnovation‐immersiongrantprogramsthatwillhelprebuildareabusinessesandcreatenewenterprises.Key to thisprogram is to establishgrants thatwillbemodeledafter the onesadministered by Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation called the KentuckyEnterpriseFund.Bycreatinggrantsthatcanonlybeusedtosupportthirdpartyservicesordirect implementationstrategies,acadreofhighly innovative,networkedbusinessescanbegrown.

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TechnicalOverviewofEntrepreneurialSmallBusiness

In the weeks following the 2012 tornado devastation, the Morehead State UniversityInnovationCenterandKentuckyScienceandTechnologyCorporation’s“MakeitKentuckyprogram”began toorganizeagroupofentrepreneurs looking to startoverorbuildnewinnovation‐based enterprises in West Liberty. Eventually, this partnership worked to

securefundingforaBusinessHubthatwouldhelpinthetransition process. The initial seed funding wasprovided by a West Liberty non‐profit called theRegionalTechnologyandInnovationCenter,Inc.(RTIC)

The business hub will maintain records of localentrepreneurs’ needs; provide them with one‐on‐oneandcommunity‐wideeducationwheretheycangainrealworld experience and networking from experts in allfacets of their business; and financial programs, toincludebusinessloans,grants,andcollateralassistance.

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ThebusinesshubisalreadydevelopingthefollowingservicesforPhase1clients:

Business Intakes and Initial Assessments: for participating entrepreneurs, toanalyzewaystomaximizegrowthpotential

BusinessAssistance:forparticipatingentrepreneurs,onwaystheycanincorporateentrepreneurialism, green, and innovation into their businesses, and onhow theycanaccessthesupportofregionalagencies.

Business Mentoring: pairing each entrepreneur with a mentor ‐‐with long termexperienceowningandrunningabusinessliketheirs–whowillprovide40hoursoffreeadviceoveraperiodof6months.

IdeaFestival West Liberty: Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation’snationally respected event, annually held in Louisville, will create a series ofcommunity events whereby outside experts will be afforded the opportunity tolearn from experts from across the world in areas such as disaster recovery forbusinesses,e‐commerce,goinggreen,thekeystoinnovation,andmore.

SeekfundingtolaunchthebusinesshubinPhaseII:

InnovationGrants:Grantswouldbemadeavailable,onacompetitivebasis,toareasmallbusinesseswillingtochampiontheirinnovationstrategies.Thesegrantswillbemodeled on Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation’s Rural InnovationFundgrantsandcanbeusedforthirdpartyservicessuchase‐commerce,websitedevelopment, green strategies, smart marketing, social media, and more.Expenditures will be approved by the MSU Innovation and CommercializationCenter and Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation’s Make it KentuckyProgramandwillbepayableforthirdpartycontractorsonly.

2.BuildingAffordableandHighlyEnergyEfficientReplacementPassiveHousing:

Thereisinterestinconstructingnewfamilyresidencestoreplacethosethatweredestroyedorseverelydamagedbyusingtheultra‐lowenergyprinciplesofpassivehousing.Passivehousingisaprocessthatisquicklybecomingthegoldstandardofenergyefficientresidentialbuilding,whileenabling the creationofaKentucky‐basedgreenmanufacturing industry,partneringwithnascentprogramsinLexingtonandMonticello.

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TechnicalOverviewofPassiveHousing

ThehousingstockofMorganCounty,andparticularly,theWestLibertyareawasseverelydiminished in the wake of the tornado. Over 400 homes were destroyed and a key toretaining the current population and economic power of the area is to quickly rebuildresidences.Wehavebegundiscussionswith thenewownersof a recently closedmobilehome factory in the neighboring town of Flemingsburg to form a partnership in whichhighlyenergyefficientmodularhomeswouldbeconstructed.Thisinitiativewouldnotonlyprovidemuchneededlocaljobsandhelpre‐startaflailingmanufacturingindustrybutlaythegroundworktoestablishtheareaasaleaderinhighlyefficientmodularhousing.

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ThisconceptisverysimilartothesuccessfulHouseboat to Energy Efficient Residences(HBEER)initiativethatwasdevelopedbytheUniversityofKentuckyCollegeofDesign,UKCenter for Applied Energy Research, TheKentuckyHighlandsInvestmentCorporation,and the Kentucky Housing Corporation. Thegoalwastodesignahousethatcanbebuiltina houseboat factory, with 70% Kentucky‐made products, that costs $1 a day to heatandcool,withapurchasepriceof$100,000.The first HBEER prototype home, inMonticello, Ky., included 82% Kentuckyproductsandservices.

Ourprogramwouldpartnerwiththe factoryowners, UKCAER and our passive housing

experts to take the lessons learned from the HBEER initiative and apply passive housetechniques in a factory setting. This concept could be used to mass produce a highperforming, affordable and durable housing stock that could be; used anywhere in theregionandAppalachia,builtwithKentuckyproducedmaterialsbyKentucky labor.Thesehouses are not only affordable to build they increase the economic potential of theirtenantsby freeingupmoney fromtheirenergybudget.Themoneysaved isuseful to thefamilyandusuallyendsupbackinthelocaleconomy.

Our program would also partner with a small number of families to rebuild theirresidencestopassivehousestandardswhile finetuningthepassivehousetechnique inafactorysetting.Thelessonslearnedduringthesefirsthouseswouldallowthedevelopmentof work flow efficiencies that will benefit the community by ultimately providing lessexpensivehighperformancehousingandtheworkforcewithtrainingtothestandard.

Thefollowingserviceswillbeneeded:

Passive House Residences: to provideone or two low income families with a 90%contributiontowardthecostof thehouseanda small number a 25% contribution. Theseresidenceswillbebuiltinamodularfashioninthefactorywithfinalassemblytakingplaceontheowner’slot.

A Factory Retrofit: that will bring themanufacturing facility to a level to producequality highly energy efficient modularhousingonaconsistentbasis.Thefactoryisinexcellent shapeandhasbeenwellmaintainedbutsomeinvestmentisnecessary.Thefactoryowner will contribute to this effort from amonetaryandsweatequitystandpoint.

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WorkerandManagerTraining:byPassivehouseexperts.ThistrainingProgramwillfunctionbothatthefactoryandthejobsiteandwilltrainbothfactoryworkersandconstructionmanagerstotherigorousenergyefficient“passivehouse”standard.

There is an opportunity to rebuild and rebuildwell inWest Liberty—to leave the townbetter than it was and to help solve societal problems at the same time. Passive Housereferstoarigorousstandardforsuperenergyefficientbuildings.Usingexistingtechnology,homescanbebuilt touse70‐80% lessenergy—all for lessmoney.Ahighermortgage ismore than offset by the extraordinary energy savings everymonth. Passive Houses usepassivesolar, super insulation,highperformancewindows,air tightness, thermalbridge‐freeconstructionandventilation toachieveextraordinaryenergyreductionsat thesametimeasprovidingsuperiorindoorairqualityandcomfort.APassiveHouseisasystem.

Passive House could be used in West Liberty to rebuild lost homes while also being ashowcase for how a town could be. Inmanyways, building a PassiveHouse can be likebuildingconventionally.APassiveHousecanbebuiltonabasement,slaborcrawlspace.Walls can be framed conventionally but with two sets of studs making more room forinsulation.

Treatingthehouseasasystemenablesmuchgreatersavingsthanindividualcomponentsorstrategies.Thesamplecostsshownbelowforamodest1,050SFhome,assumetheuseof integrated design.With a base cost of $100/SF and an estimated incremental cost of$28/SFformaterials,labor,consultingandconstructionmanagement,aPassiveHouseisatcostparity fromdayoneand cheaper toownover time. It is a safe investment, likely toincrease invalueasmarket forcesbegin tovalue thecostofenergy.For thosewith fixedand limited incomes, the insurance that the Passive House provides against energy costescalationiscritical.

ExampleCoststoOwnandOperateaPassiveHouse

Building Types Energy Cost

@10¢/kWh ($/month)

Mortgage Cost 20% down, 4%

for 30 years ($/month)

Total Cost to Own &

Operate Home

Energy Cost in 10 years @ 5.5%/yr

Escalation

Total Cost to Own & Operate Home in 2022

Impact of Home Energy Use on Environmental

& Public Health ($/30 years)

Passive House $37

$513

$550

$63

$556

$15,250

Conventional New Home

$141

$401

$542

$241

$642

$73,480

Pre-1976 Mobile Home, 400 SF

$262

--------

$262

$448

$448

$147,560

3.DevelopingCleanEnergy,Sorghum&EnergyPark:

Greatadvantagecanbe takenofWestLiberty’saccess toaffordablewaterandbuildingonWestLiberty’s statusas the sorghum capitalof theworldby seedingademonstrationbio‐energyprojectaroundthisbreedofsugarcane.Thiscrophasanenormousenergypotentialduetoitsparticularlystrongsugarcontentandisacropthatcanbegrowninhillyareasorothermarginallandsthataren’ttypicallyconducivetoagriculture.Wecanalsopromotetheincorporationofrenewableenergytechnologies,suchassolarPV,solarthermal,andmicro‐wind turbines, when economically feasible and strategically beneficial. Recognizing the

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opportunitytoforre‐developmentbuildingonlocalresourcesandchartingnewdirectionsinsustainable development in rural communities, the B.E.G.I.N. Again team proposes toconstructanenergyparkinMorganCountythatwillcreateskilledjobs,provideamodelforlocal communities to become more energy sufficient, and build upon local resources toachievetheseendeavors.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

TechnicalOverviewofCleanEnergy&EnergyPark

However tragic, a disaster on the scale of whathappenedtoWestLibertyofferstheopportunityfora community to examine the path it was on pre‐disasterand imaginehowthiscouldbechangedtopursuenewopportunities.Investmentinrenewableenergy is proving to be a hedge for a community,anditcanpayofffrombothamonetaryperspectiveand in helping to change how the residents seevalueintheircommunity.

Micro‐windandsolar:Inareasofthecountrywherelarge scale wind projects are not feasible such asKentucky,micro‐windisprovingtobeacosteffectivewaytohaveabigimpactonasmallscale.Weare in theprocessof scoutingbuildings in theWestLibertyarea thataregoodcandidatesformicro‐windandsolarinstallation.

ConvertingSorghumtoEthanol:Inrecentyears,coalmininginMorganCountyhasmovedfarthereast,andthetownisbetterknownforasweeterresource:sorghum,a localplantthat’s similar to sugar cane. Since 1971,Morgan County and thousands of visitors havecelebrated the Sorghum Festival. While sorghum is a pleasure to eat, its strong sugarcontentmeansitcanreadilybeconvertedintobiofuels.Becauseitcanbegrownonfallowhillside farms and the potential for the using reclaimedmind landsmay exist but needsfurther researching. By using these marginal lands, energy can be created withoutcompetingwith foodproducts. B.E.G.I.N. Againwouldwork to create a seed project thatwould combine the region’s reputation as an energy hubwith the town’s reputation forsorghum.A teamwill applyexistingbusinessmodels formodularethanol systems,workwiththelocalagricultureandbusinesscommunitytoestablishacooperativeforfarmerstoproduce biomass feedstock, and generate ethanol for distribution into the local marketand/or for sellon thespotmarket.Eitheroff‐takescenariowill result in revenue for thelocal governments, create new jobs within the community, and reduce dependence onforeign oil. The B.E.G.I.N. Again team suggests a public‐private partnership wherein thelocalgovernmentsanduniversity(oranycombinationthereof)wouldownthefacilityandenterintoamanagementagreementwithachosenvendortooperatethefacilityontheirbehalf. Likewise, the vendor would work with the farming cooperative to purchasefeedstock from local producerswhichwould be used for the facility. Understanding thebudgetisapproximately$1,000,000dollarsforthisproposedproject,TheB.E.G.I.N.Againteamwillworkwithitsteamandthelocalgovernmentanduniversitytoconstructaviablefacilitycapableofproducingethanolandprovideasustainablerevenuestreamforthelocalentities, create jobs in the local economy, and utilize underdeveloped and undevelopedassetsinthelocalcommunity.

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Fundingwillallowthelocaleconomicdevelopmentagencies,inconjunctionwithKentuckyScienceandTechnologyCorporation, torequestproposals forasmall‐scaleethanolplantthatwouldbeownedbythecommunityandoperatedbyaprivatesectorventure.Further,the crops used to support this facility could be locally grown as a part of a co‐op, thusservingasaboostforthelocalfarmingcommunity.

Theenergyparkconceptintegratesthefollowingoperations:

Production of transportation fuel/biochemical feedstock utilizing feedstockclassified as advanced by the Department of Energy. This feedstock includesgenetically engineered Roundup Ready (RR) energy beets which are a nextgeneration feedstock with a high‐yield per acre for transportation fuel yield. Inaddition, consideration would be given to the use of sweet sorghum and othersimilarfeedstockbasedonitsapplicabilityandviabilityasafeedstocktospurnewagriculture onmarginal lands and as a secondary crop through the creation of aagriculturecooperativefortheproductionofthesefeedstock

Use of biofuel byproducts to provide feed supplements to livestock that increasepricecompetitivenessovertraditionalcornfeed

Useofbiofuelbyproductstointegrateaquacultureintotheenergyparkconcepttocreatenewindustry

Constructionofaco‐generationpowerfacilityusingsolar,naturalgas,andbiomassof a to‐be‐determined size. The combination of these different power generationpiecescomplimenttheotherunderapatentedprocess.

Theenergyparkmodelwillprovidesustainabledevelopment,economicdiversification,jobcreation in new industries, strengthen existing industries, and reduce waste biomass,includingmunicipalsolidwasteandagriculturalwaste.

B.E.G.I.N.Againteamproposesaprivate‐publicpartnershipinordertocreatenewrevenuestreamsforlocalgovernment.Thecompanywilloverseeconstructionanddailyoperationsandbuild‐outofthefacility.

4.EstablishingaWorldClassDataRecoveryCenter:

Supplementing existing technological and infrastructure resources, and building on ITsynergy inthecommunity,enablingWestLibertytoemergeasan international leader inITdatabackup.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

TechnicalOverviewofDataRecoveryCenter

Withexistingtechnologicalandinfrastructureresources,andagrowingITsynergywithinthe community, West Liberty is poised to emerge as an international leader in IT databackup,ajob‐creatingindustrythatisidealforremote,transportation‐disadvantagedruralcommunities. The state‐of‐the‐art facilitywould ensure that critical datawill always beprotectedinasafeandsecureenvironmentincludingon‐site24/7/365monitoredexpertsupportcapabilitieswithoutfearoffire,flood,orhardwareorpowerfailure.Sustainabilitywould be embraced in the Data Center as well, as cheaper energy solutions will be

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maximized through the utilization of equipment that is specifically designed to utilizeenergyfromothermachinesaswellascoolingpadstocutdownonenergycosts.

The Center will be maintained by the Northeast Kentucky Regional Health InformationOrganization(NeKYRHIO),analreadyestablishedorganizationthatcanhavestaffonthegroundquicklytobegintofacilitatecontractsandotherbusinessconnectionsfortheDataCenter before the Center is even completed, and is prepared to leverage its establishedclientbaseof500providersand4hospitals.

TheCenterwouldinvolve:

DataStorageandSecurityExperts: Workingcollaborativelywithclients toassurebusiness continuance in the face of disaster, experts will help develop businessplans tobe tailored to smallor largerbusinessesandbepriorityalignedwith thebusinesseslevelofcomfortintheirprimaryanddisasterdatarecoveryneeds.

Business Services: Through Center support, client businesses would be able toreturntotheircoremissionsinsteadoffocusingonexpensiveandtime‐consumingIT challenges. Services would include hardware and software installation andmaintenance, data storage, data backup, data archiving, e‐mail and messagemanagement, managed business continuance, technical support, technicalconsulting,Web hosting, VPS (Virtual private servers) hosting, technical training,anddatacentersustainability.

LeveragingDisaster Experience: A uniquemarketing approach that capitalizes ontheexperienceof thecommunityofWestLibertywillbeundertaken tomarket tocommunitiesof similar sizeanddemographics, toprovidedata storageneedsandhelp establish abusiness continuanceplan in caseofdisaster.By saving timeandinformation, businesses can re‐establish themselves easily and disasters can havelessextremeeffectstotheeconomyoverall.

Unique Savings Opportunities: West Liberty’s rural location offers numerousefficiency advantages including scalability and service for small and largebusinesses,andcheaperservicesduetothelowcostsofruralarea.

5.DevelopingaTwenty‐firstCenturyModelforRuralHealthCare:

Ensuring a highly efficient West Liberty medical community by leveraging informationtechnology,electronicmedicalrecords,andITsupport;andintheprocesscreatingtheseedsforhightechjobgrowthinMorganCounty.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

TechnicalOverviewofModelforRuralHealthCare:

Northeastern Kentucky Regional Health Information Organization (NeKY RHIO), a501(c)(3) non‐profit, was established inWest Liberty in 2009 to help regional medicalproviders utilize electronic health records to more efficiently and effectively providequality,affordablehealthcaretothedisproportionately lower‐incomepopulationintheirservice area. This innovative experiment in using high‐tech, twenty‐first Centurytechnologies within a rural, distressed economy is intended additionally to create high‐payingjobsandprovideeducationalinternships/externshipsforfutureregionaleconomic

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sustainability. In addition, thiselectronicofferingcouldbepairedwithan emergency medical servicesproposalfortheregion.

NeKYRHIOhasbroadsupportfromtheregional medical community, and hasbeen awarded several governmentgrants for its innovativeprogramming.However, the dual blows of a soureconomyandahistoricallydestructivenatural disaster has stalled theprogram’sprogress.

With some funding,NeKYRHIOwouldbe empowered to accomplish thefollowingobjectives,therebyservingasa model for rural health care in ruralAmerica, as well as around the globe:

ProviderEvaluations/WorkPlans:EachmedicalproviderinWestLibertywouldbeevaluatedfordirecthealthinformationtechnologyinfrastructure,electronichealthrecordutilization,anddatastoragecapability.Anindividualizedworkplanforeachprovider would be established, encompassing everything from establishing basicinformationtechnologyandphonesystemneeds, tosecuring“cloud”datastorage,to working with a quality data analyst to improve care coordination amongproviders in Morgan County. Work plans would be centrally coordinated by theNeKYRHIO to reach common communications, quality of care, transitions in careandefficienciesamongtheentiremedicalcommunity.

IT Infrastructure Development: Local health care facilities would receive directfunding to support health IT infrastructure development in order to collaboratewithotherpartnersinthesystem.

EMSAssessments:EmergencyMedicalServiceswouldbeprovidedwithhardwareand software to accurately trackmedical supply inventory on the scene. There isalsopotentialforintegrationbetweenthehospitalandtheambulanceunitspriortothearrivalofapatient intheEmergencyDepartment.Thissegmentisalsobrokenoutinmoredetailbelow.

e‐Prescribing:Small townpharmacieswouldbesupported throughthe facilitationof “e‐Prescribing” from local providers ‐‐ NIHN direct email accounts tocommunicate HIPAA sensitive information to providers. Such a system woulddecreasethe faxingandassociatedphonecosts,aswellas the invaluable lost timespentretrievinginformation.

Mental Health: Pathways Community Mental Health Center would receive acomplete infrastructure assessment and work plan tailored to communicate andwork collaboratively with other Morgan County medical partners in improvingqualityofcareforpatients.Transitionsincarefromthisfacilitytoothersareoftenimpaired bymissingdata fromproviders attempting to treat patients at the locallevel.

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Job Growth and Training: Each element of this project has the ability to provideinternship and externship experiences for students. NeKY RHIO would workcollaborativelywithMoreheadStateUniversity’sOfficeofCareerServicestoprovidesixmonth experiences for students. There are also certification opportunities inseveral of the areas which can be offered to internship or externship studentsmeetingthecriteria.

FundingSourcesforOpportunitiesAs demonstrated by the success of Greensburg and Joplin, there are numerous fundingsources and approaches for developing these strategies. The key is working with thecommunity todeveloptheircomprehensivevision for therebuildingofWestLibertyandthen working in concert to identify and pursue funding for the implementation of thestrategiestomakethevisionareality.

Fundingfortheseeffortscanderivefromavarietyofsources.Alreadythemainsourceshavebeenstateandfederaldisasteraid,insurancepolicies,andoutsidegroups,tonameafew.Inthefuturethesesamesourcescanbetappedagain,inadditiontofoundation,privateandfederalenergyandeconomicdevelopmentpools.

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4. ConclusionThisstrategicplanfortherebuildingofWestLibertyhaspresentedmanyperspectivesandinsights intoopportunities for theresidentsofWestLiberty torebuild their town.At theend of the day, this strategic plan has to bemuchmore than a document and become alivingvisionsharedamongWestLibertyresidents,MorganCounty,andthelargerregion.

This document, and themeetings and conversationswhich have informed it, is only thebeginning. The effort to connect the different ideas throughout the community andorganizations and rebuilding groups working on the effort must continue. From thisdocumentandtheseefforts,acentralvisioncanbedevelopedthatbringsallthesediversechallengesandopportunitiestogethertoallowthecommunitytomovetogetherasone.Acommonvisionisessentialforraisingfundsoutsidethecommunityforrebuildingefforts.

This community’s vision will not happen overnight, but must be focused on bringingtogether all the elements overmulti‐year long phases.When this plan is executed,WestLibertywill have succeeded in retaining its culture andwill have built a foundation forfuturegenerationstocarryforwardthetorchforthetown.

Nextstepstoachievetheseendsinclude:

1. DevelopcomprehensiveVisionStatementforthecommunity;2. Continue to tell the West Liberty “story” and its rebuilding efforts regionally,

statewide,andnationally;3. Carryonfosteringworkingpartnershipsatthestateandfederal levelsandamong

non‐profits,privateorganizationsandfoundations;4. Prepare a strategic funding plan for the community identifying all the potential

resourcesandtheplanforacquiringthem;5. Formalize communications among all the different stakeholders and involved

entitiestocontinuethesharingofinformationthroughoutthecommunity;and6. Promote opportunities for pilot projects and joint ventures of technologies and

practicesinWestLiberty.

ItisenvisionedthatthesestepswillbeassistedbystafffromMidwestCleanEnergyEnterprise,LLC(MCEE)andJonathanMillerfromGrassrootsFinancing,LLC.

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AppendixA–DanielWallach’sComments&InputA conversation with Daniel Wallach on Greensburg and Joplin andapplyingthoselessonslearnedtoWestLiberty:ThestoriesofGreensburg,KansasandJoplin,MissourioffermuchtothecitizensofWestLibertyandtothoseofuswhowanttopositivelyimpactthechallengesandopportunitiesthatarebeingfacedlocallyinWestLiberty.Thelargerstoryisthatneitherofthesetownsrebuiltinisolationoralone.Bothoftheseeffortswerefundedbyregional,stateandfederalsources and were aided through a consortium of concerned citizens and private sectorsupport.Afewoftheseentitiesincludeandfundingsourcesinclude:

USDARuralDevelopment USDepartmentofEnergy(DOE) StateofKansas Severalphilanthropistsandfoundations Over30UScorporations Thousands of individuals directly and/or through nonprofits

doingworkinthecommunity.Asmentionedpreviously,thetownsvaryinsizeandscopebutaccordingtoDaniel,manyofthe issues that stakeholders face when rebuilding have much in common. Through thecourse of touring the damage andmeetingwith numerous locals, Daniel providedmanyinsights about what he has learned and how these lessons might be applied to therebuildingofWestLiberty.Thetopicsofconversationcoveredawidedegreeoftopics.

Onre‐brandingatownandseeingsomeopportunitythroughthetragedy:The first lesson in hisworkwithGreensburg and Joplin is the power of branding. For asmallruraltowntosurvive,itneedstodoagoodjobofbrandingitselfasadestinationorpurposeforthelargerregionandstate.Manysuchsmalltownshaveatouristattractionora local industry that is of interest, which allows the town to build an infrastructure ofrestaurants, accommodations and activities. These attractions in turn allow these smalltowns to attract business and industry to locate and to retain young adults in thecommunity.ThiseffecthasbeenseeninwindfarmsinwestTexasthathavecreatedgoodhighpayingjobsforthelocalcommunityandsteadypaymentforlong‐termlandleasing.Itisalmostlikeasportsteaminthatpeoplewanttocheerforit.Thebrandissomethingthatgivesyousomethingunique.

Onbrandingandstorytellingtodevelopeconomicopportunity:AnotherlessonDaniel learnedisthatitisessentialtotellthestorytodifferentaudiencesthroughmultiplechannels.Thisstorytellingneedstooccurduringtherebuildingeffortsaswell as ongoing afterwards. Mediums for this story include websites, tourist brochures,walkingtourmaps,mediacoverage,articles,andTVshows,etc.Theessentialelementistocontinuouslyretellthestoryandrebrandthetown. Peopleloveacomebackstory,whichcanberetoldandreusedtoenervateinterest.ItisalmostlikearealityTVshow,peopleareinterested in hearing stories and often these stories energize people on the inside. Onepiece of this is developing model sustainability homes and buildings for residents andvisitorstotour.Daniel’sGreensburgGreentownhasdevelopedandbuiltamodelofgreen

35


buildingstockthattheyuseasalocalbedandbreakfastandtouristcenter.Thesebuildingscan be erected for other purposes in the Greensburg community and in other locationsaround the country. This building and purpose reinforces the branding and story ofrebuildingGreensburg.

On capitalizing on optimism and energy before enthusiasm dissipates: Perhaps themostimportantlessonistoretainoptimism.InGreensburg,whatwasessentialisthattheyhadpicturesandrenderingsofideastoinspirethemandtokeepthemhopeful.Also, it isimperative to have cheerleaders to help keep people focused on the long‐termopportunities.Thesecheerleaderscelebratedthesuccessesregularlytokeepuptheenergyandthemomentumoftheeffort.

WestLibertyhasanopportunitythatfewothertownshave‐thecommunitycanreinventitself.AccordingtoDanielWallach,“Itisanincredibleopportunitythatyouhaveinsurancemoneyandotherresourcestorebuildandtheoptiontodoitdifferently.Forthosethatgetdepressedordeterred,thiscanhelpexcitepeople.Bypaintingapictureofwhatcouldbe,youcanshowthemwhat ispossible.” Oneof thebiggestbenefits thatGreensburghas isthatpeopleontheoutsidecomeintorecognizeandapplaudtheirrebuildingefforts,whichreenergizespeopleinthecommunity.Itisalwayshearteningtogooutsidethecommunityandhearwhatotherpeoplearesayingabouttheirwork.Embracingthisapproachcanleadtowardrepairofthetownandofpeople’sspirits.

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Onreframingsustainabilityaroundlocalissuesandvalues:Howdoyougetacommunityonboardwith this issueof sustainability?The leadersandcitizensthatwerepushingthesustainabilitypathinGreensburgwereverycarefulearlyon.They knew that their neighborsconsidered themselves stewards ofthe land. They fished and hunted,they farmed and they recycled andthey were innovators. They builtwell‐insulated and properlyoriented housing. Daniel citednumerous examples during hiswork in Greensburg how localresidents were already practicingmany aspects of sustainability.Fromwindmillsthatpullwateroutof the ground, the recycling ofmaterials and equipment on theirranches,toprotectionoftheland,inhis eyes, these individuals hadsustainabilitybuiltintotheirbones.InhisworkwithGreensburg,itwaseasy for them to adopt these ideasofconservationandself‐reliance.

Daniel often states “I am no tree hugger” when meeting with stakeholders. A powerfullesson is thatsustainabilitydoesnotneed tobeapoliticallydivisive termorapplication.Danielfeelsthatsustainabilityhasbecomepoliticizedforsillyreasons.Sustainabilityisallabout roots and connecting and long‐term stewardship and religion, respecting God’screation–andthatishowtheideacanbecomedepoliticized.DanielencouragesanyonetogotothegreenbuildingsandseehowitisnowwovenintothefabricofthecommunityofGreensburg. In corporateAmerica these ideas already resonate because theymake goodbusinesssense.

Ontheeconomicchallengesofrebuildingsustainably:Housingandbusinesses find it toughtogetback towheretheywerebecauseof theneweconomic equation. Given that existing building stock had already been paid off, newinvestmentmustbeaneweconomicequationthatmakessense.AtalmosteverymeetinginGreensburg,housingwouldcomeup.Eventodaythereisdemandbutnostock.Therehastobemodelsforrebuildingandthemodelsdoexistbutdamagedcommunitieshavetoseekthemout.Forinstance,inJoplinthereisaplanfordevelopingamodelmortgagefor$350amonth that pays for a 1,100 square foot structure that is highly energy efficient. Smallbusinesswillmovebackif theyhavethefunds, localsupportandbeliefthatthebusinessclimatewillsupport them. InGreensburg,abusiness incubatorwasbuilt forabudgetof$1.2million thatwas owned by a nonprofit. This incubator has shared space formanybusinesses under one roof for a relatively low upfront investment. The new businessestendtofeedoffofeachotherfortalent,inspirationandasharedcustomerbase.Therearenewideasouttherethatcanhelpinthissituationbutitmaybeimportanttolookoutsideofthelocalbusinessclimatetofindthem.Outsideexpertiseisextremelyhelpful.

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Ontheimportanceofseekingoutsideexpertiseandunbiasedthirdpartyverification:Another lesson is to have an independent agency or entity that can assist the town inselectingvendors, facilitatingmeetings,with connections to the larger region, andwhichcan provide technical support. In Greensburg and Joplin, Greensburg Greentown’s non‐profit handles this work. An entity of this nature can be instrumental in assisting thecommunity to stay on plan, move forward in a straight direction, bridge competingprioritiesinthecommunity,aidincommunication,andfindvendorswhocandothework.

Onenergyefficiencyasapromotionorcallingcard:OnewaythatGreensburgcapitalizedoneco‐efficiencywastobuildeco‐lodging.Theseeco‐lodgesareessentiallyhouses,andthesearesomeofthemostpopularsitesinGreensburg.Thesehousesofthefuturearecompelling.Theyarerelativelyinexpensivetobuildandtolivein.Bybuildingoneoftheseneweco‐houseseachyear,thecommunitycanstayonthecutting edge. On tours of Greensburg, the highly efficient buildings are very popularbecause they are considered cutting edge and that attracts people, because people areinterestedinthefuture.

Daniel’sclosingthoughtsandideasforWestLiberty:After meeting with local stakeholders, Daniel felt that the West Liberty area had manypositivesinitsfavorthatwouldlendtosuccessfulrebuilding.Amongthemareabeautifulareawithmanynaturalresourcesandanengagedgroupofenergizedstakeholderstopushtheefforts. InsomewaysDaniel felt that theareahadmoreadvantagesthanGreensburgdid.Thelandwasbeautifulandwouldbeaphenomenaldestinationandtouristattraction.Upon reviewing the B.E.G.I.N. AGAIN initiative he commented that it brought backmemoriesofGreensburg’soriginalplan.

Inclosing,Danielmadeonefinalpoint.Thepointwasthatunderneathallofthedifferences,children are the most passionate advocates talking to their parents and grandparentsbecausetheywantsomethinginterestinginthecommunity.Theyouthofacommunitywilldeterminethefutureopportunitythatexistsandtheymustbeengagedtobesuccessful.

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AppendixB–CommunityComments&Input

Meeting#1–StakeholderMeetingwithDr.RodneyAndrews:

OnAugust14,2012,DanielmetwithDr.RodneyAndrews,ExecutiveDirectoroftheCenterforAppliedEnergyResearch(CAER)attheUniversityofKentucky(UK).CAERhasanofficelocatedinWestLibertyandconductsresearchthroughoutEasternKentucky.Thismeetingwas scheduled with this local entity to determine the resources and renewable energydevelopmentideasthatCAERcouldprovide.Fromthisconversationanumberofideasandstrategieswerediscussed.DanielbeganthemeetingbyrelatingthecontextofGreensburgand Joplinaswritten in theprevioussection(seeLearning fromOthers ‐Greensburg,KSandJoplin,MI).

Duringthemeetingmanytopicswerediscussed:

Geothermalcommunitysystem; Greenspacedevelopment; Optionsfordevelopingalocalutilityforpowersupply; Stormwateroptions; Lowwaternativeplantings; SolarhotwaterandPV; ReplicabilityinotherKansastowns; ThechallengesoflowpowercostsinKentucky; Howwassustainabilitydefined?; Assessment of resource opportunities with the decision that energy

efficiencyandgeothermalwerethebestopportunitiesforsignificantsavingsinWestLibertywithdemonstrationofmicrowindandPVforapplications;

Importanceofbuildingwithconstructionmethodsthatwillleadto100+lifeofthebuildingsandnot30;

Discussion about Houseboat to Energy Efficient Housing (HBEER) and ifthereareopportunitiesfordevelopmentofmodularhomeindustryinWestLiberty;and

The idea of relocating the UK Solar Decathlon House toWest Liberty as atemporaryvisitorcenterandofficeforsustainabilityservices.

Attendees:JasonDelambre,BobbyClark,JohnathanGay,DanielWallach,TomEblen,GregoryCopley,ShielaMedinaandRodneyAndrews.

Meeting#2–LunchInterviewwithTomEblen:

OnthewaytoWestLiberty,ourteamstoppedatNaturalBridgeStateParktoshowDanielone of our state parks and natural tourist attractions near West Liberty and providenewswriterTomEblenanopportunitytointerviewhimforanarticletobepublishedintheLexington Herald Leader. Daniel was struck by how beautiful the scenery was and herepeatedlymentionedhisviewthatWestLibertycouldbeamajortouristattraction.TomEblenwroteafrontpagearticlebasedonthisconversationontheothersheldduringtheday.

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Attendees:JasonDelambre,BobbyClark,DanielWallachandTomEblen

Meeting#3–DrivingTourofWestLibertywithJohnathanGayandGregoryCopley:

After the lunch meeting at Natural Bridge, the team drove down to West Liberty andconnected with Johnathan Gay and Gregory Copley for a tour of town describing thedestructive path of the tornado and various areas of the town thatweremost damaged.This included the elementary school, the downtown business area, the courthouse, theMethodistchurch,thenewjudicialcenter,anumberofhousesfromdowntownstretchingtotheeastoftown.

Attendees: Jason Delambre, Bobby Clark, Johnathan Gay, DanielWallach, Tom Eblen, andGregoryCopley.

Meeting#4–MeetingwithHankAllen:

During the meeting with Hank, Daniel discussed a number of topics informed by hismanagement role in the Commercial Bank ofWest Liberty and as President of theWestLibertyChamberofCommerce.Thebankhas$150millioninassets,butduetochangesintheir processes they had more employees 33 years ago than they have today. HankinformedusthatWestLiberty’seconomyhasbeenprimarilyanagriculturaleconomyforthe last 200 years. Their primary crops in the pastwere tobacco and cattle. Due to thereductionintobaccogrowthinKentuckythiscropoptionhasgoneaway,butbeefcattle,asrepresented by a local processing plant located near the juncture of 205 and easternparkway,isstillgoingstrong.TheflipsideisthatWestLibertyisalsoinAppalachia,whichhasextensivepovertyandgenerationallowacademicachievement.Thisisrepresentativeofalotofeconomiesintheareathatfitthesamemold.

Beyond agriculture, the government, schools, the prison and hospital are the largestemployers. The hospital has 60 beds and had its grand reopening the day before themeeting‐therewereasmanyas500peoplewhoattendedtheeventandlotsofemotionandstoriestold.Theprisonhas2,000inmateswith1,000cellsandwasbuilt20yearsago.Leadersinthecommunityhadavisionthattheprisonwouldhelptheeconomyandithasbeenagodsendforthem,withonlyafewnegativeconnotations.

Hank provided the following important information: In West Liberty, there is a majorconcrete company called the Wells Group LLC, and two of the largest constructioncontractorsareFrederick&MayConstructionandStandaferBuilders,andthereareothercontractorsintownhelpingrebuild.Thetwobiggestdevelopersarebringingpeoplehomeandtakingthesmallbusinessesandgettingthembackuptospeed.Thepeopleneedaniceplacetoliveandworkoptions,whilebusinessesneedmoney.Butwearedealingwitholderstructuresthataren’ttocode,andwithoutenoughinsuranceproceedsorfundstorebuild.Somepeoplehadnone, somehad toomuch.Someof thehighest insuredarecashingoutand leaving. Some are trying to build back, butwith the newer codes and prices of newmaterials,theycannot.Alotofthoseaffectedwererentaltenants;theownerscannotbuildbackbecausetherentswouldbetoohighfortenantstopay. Hankdescribedhowhehasbeenontheforefrontofdevelopingasmallbusinessbasedonone‐pagegrantapplicationfor$5,000to$7,000grants.

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Thereareanumberofbusinessesthatwereprovidingserviceandproductsthatthelocalpeople need. These included flower shops, a one‐screen cinema and clothing shop. InHank’smind,thoseareimportantbusinesses,andthesebusinessesarehavingahardtimerebuilding.Afterthetornadothereweretwohundredlessaddressesinoneday.Tobringpeople back they need houses and they don’t come back overnight. One thingHank hasfoundsincethetornadoisthatsmallbusinessesareessentialtotheireconomy.Sincethetornadotheirvoiceshavenotbeenheard.CongressmanHalRogershasplayedavitalrolewith SBA:making 1.6% interest loans and 4% interest loans for businesses. One of thecommon themes is touse theWPAStone from thebuildings thatweredemolished.Thiscould bepart of the rebranding. Since the tornadohit,what has happenedon a positivenoteinGreensburgcanhappeninWestliberty,andithasgivenHankandotherresidentsawholedifferentperspective.

Onthehousingfront,thekeychallengeisthatthecostofrebuildingwillleadtohigherrentthatisnotaffordable.Thereisalittletalkofaffordablehousingbutthereareanumberofchallengescontainedinthatapproach.ThefederalhomeloanbankofCincinnati,whichislargely a provider, of funds allowed them to borrow at a lower rate. They immediatelyrecognized the devastation after the tornado in West Liberty that allowed them to puttogether a $5million grant program. Each home owner received $20,000 for rebuildingtheirhouse.Hank’sbankdidtheveryfirstoneandthemoneyhasbeengoingoutreallyfasttothosewhowanttorebuild.Hanklikestolookatthis$20,000asadownpayment,ithasbeeninstrumentalinassistingfamiliesrebuild,butdoesn’tapplytoeveryone.Largelyuptothis point, the county and community have made really good decisions on rebuilding.Roughly150to300familieshavebeendisplacedbythestorm.Thesefamiliesarecurrentlylivingwithrelativeslocallyorareoutoftown.Localdevelopershavenotbeeninterestedinrebuilding, but their local concrete plant is the biggest east of Lexington and could beinstrumentalinbuildingconcretehomes.

HankisthesixthgenerationofhisfamilylivinginWestLiberty.Itissoemotional,thatdoesnotevendiscussthefinancialincentivesorchallenges.Onemonththerewouldbealotofoptimism and in others not so much. He is optimistic that things can come back. HankappreciatedtheperspectivefromDanielandoutsidesupportsincethestorm.Inhismind,oneadvantage for rebuilding is thatMainStreet is fairlydenseandservesas the centralcoreoftownThisisduetothefacttheydidnothaveabypass.HankfeelsthatMainStreet’srecovery is the key toWest Liberty’s recovery. Since the storm,Hank and others in thecommunityhavelearnedthatleadershipcomesoutofthegrassrootslikenooneexpected.Leaders can comeoutof theweeds, and the rebuildinghas empowered them tobecomeleaders. As part of further exploration, the communities’ leadership would like to puttogetheralocalcontingencytovisitGreensburgtoseetheworkfirsthand.

Attendees:HankAllen,DanielWallach, JohnathanGay,Bobby Clark, JasonDelambre,TomEblen,andGregoryCopley.

Meeting#5–StakeholderMeetingwithStateRepresentativeJohnWillStacy:

During Daniel’s visit, our teammet with Rep. JohnWill Stacy again and he talked withDaniel about his experiences and sharedmore perspectives aboutwhat he thoughtwaspossiblefromthelessonslearnedinGreensburgforWestLiberty.

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RepresentativeStacystatedthattheMountainRuralTelephonereceiveda$39.8milliongranttodeployafiberoptic‐cablebasedbroadbandnetworkinMorgan,Menifee,WolfeandElliotcountiesofKentucky.Thisnetworkwillprovideover20Mbpsbandwidthtoend users and bring affordable broadband access to these counties to enhanceeconomic development and education. He believes the Mountain Rural TelephoneCooperativeCorporation’shighquality infrastructuremayprovideanopportunity forcollaboration for medical records and/or information technology backup electronicstoragebusinessthatwillcreatemorejobsinWestLiberty.Onthesubjectofrenewableenergy,RepresentativeStacystatedthattherewasalargenatural gas line that runs through the Morgan County/West Liberty area and it isunderutilized. The gas is from a local source (openwells in the coal counties to theeast).RepresentativeStacyalsomentionedthat thecityofWestLibertyhadboughtagascompany(forapprox.$1million)buthadlostasignificantamountofitscustomerswiththetornadoandisstruggling.HethoughttheareawouldbeagoodplacetoerectaCompressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling station and encourage local fleet vehicles toconvert as customers. Representative Stacy listed possible customers: state vehicles,thelocalprisonvehiclefleet,andthatthelargestconcreteretailerislocalandtheyhaveasignificantfleet.TheKentuckyEnergyCabinethasanefforttoconstructthesestationsaroundKentuckyandperhapsthiscouldbeone.Thiscouldbebeneficialtousinthatitisacleanerandlocalsourceofenergy.Like Daniel Wallach and others, Representative Stacy believes another opportunitywouldbeendorsingoutdooractivities‐huntingandfishingarepopular,butharderandharder to find. Representative Stacy thinks that designating plots of land for huntingandstockingpondsandlakesforfishingcouldbeahugedrawforvisitorsandresidentsalike.

Attendees:StateRepresentativeJohnWillStacy,DanielWallach,JohnathanGay,BobbyClark,JasonDelambre,TomEblen,andGregoryCopley.

Meeting #6 – Public Stakeholder Meeting with Individuals, Businesses andOrganizationsfromCommunityandLargerRegion:

APublicCommunityandBusinessStakeholderMeetingwasheldonAugust14,2012.Thismeeting,heldinthepubliclibrary,lastedforapproximately2hoursandhadanestimated55 attendees. The goal of this meeting was for DanielWallach to share his story aboutGreensburgandJoplinasacatalystforcommunitymembersandbusinessstakeholderstosharetheirownstoriesandideasofhowtorebuildWestLiberty.BobbyClark,co‐founderMidwestCleanEnergyEnterprise(MCEE)facilitatedthemeetingandoutlinedtheB.E.G.I.N.Againprojectideas.Danielmadeaheartfeltpresentation.Theaudienceprovidedfeedback,askedquestionsandsharedtheirideas.QuestionsforDanielthatcamefromtheaudienceincluded:

Howdidyougetconservativestoembracetheideaofsustainability?

Often I talk about aswe did in the early days of Greensburg that sustainability is aboutcommunity.This isacommunitythatcametogetherto identifytheircommonvaluesandwhattheywantedtoseefortheircommunityforthefuture.Thestrengthofthefabricof

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thecommunityiswhatisimportant.Sustainabilityinparticularinthiscommunityisaboutbeing good stewardofGod’s creation.This is aboutnotwasting, these are conservativesthesearepeoplewhodon’t likewaste.This is realeasy for them. I call themtheoriginalrecyclers.Farmersandranchers theywastenothing.Theirancestorswhobuiltout therebuilt with the environment. They built with solar orientation. They heated their homesoptimally in thewinter. Basically, it is common sense. So people there understood veryquickly that this isnot apolitical issue.This is very alignedwith their values and itwasveryauthenticwiththem.

HowmuchoutsidemoneydidyouseecomeintoGreensburg?

Idon’thave,Ishould,butIdon’thaveanexactfigure.Iknowitisinexcessof$50milliondollars.Thatincludesalotoftheinsurancemoney.ButalsotheUSDARuralDevelopmentinvested$30million.Howmuchofitcameinbecauseoftheinitiativesthetownembraced.WhatIcantellyouisthatpoliticiansandgovernmentareveryresponsivetovisibilityandthemedia. Therewas somuch excitement and enthusiasm aboutwhatwas going on inGreensburg that many politicians came to town and many dollars were directed toGreensburgforthatreason.

Iwonderedaboutstatestructural,electrical,plumbingbuildingcodesandelectric,waterandgasprovidersandhowmuchconflictdidyouhavewiththem?

Youknowthereisalways,aspeoplepointedoutearlyinGreensburg,naysayers.Youjustwant tomakesure thepercentageof them isnormal. Inotherwords, ifyoupoll them, Idon’tcarewhatyoupoll,youcanaskanyquestion,youwillalwaysget20or30%whosayno.Sothereisalwayssomeofthat.PeopleinGreensburgwereadamantaboutnotlettinganythingslowthemdown,especiallynegativity.Itreallyimpressedmehowthetowncameforwardintheveryearlygoingandsaying“ifyouarenegative,wedon’twanttohearit.Ifyoudon’tlikewhatyouseeorwhatwearedoing,justleaveorgetoutoftheway.Butwewouldratheryoubepartofit.”Itwasaveryinclusivethingandformethatiskey.Isthatanybody who wanted to be involved was engaged. Even those that did not want to beinvolvedwereengaged. It isdistinctivelyyouandauthentic toyour community.Wediddealwiththepowercompanyandtheywerenotexcitedinwhatweweredoingandhowweweredoingit.Buteventuallytheycamearound.Infact,theyarenowdoingalotmoreofthisnow,becausetheyarenowallhavingtodiversetheirportfolio,becauseelectricityisgettingsoexpensive.Thetimelineforthewindfarmwaspushedalongbysmartandsavvyleadershipingovernmentandtheymoveditalongquickly.Iamnotsurehowlongittookto get thewind farmbuilt. I think itwas2‐1/2 years. The otherquestion you asked arecodes and that can be really tricky. You are dealing with state government and countygovernment–Idon’tknowhowitisexactlyhere.Generally,nobodyshouldwanttobuildtoanythingthatislessthencodeinmyexperience.InGreensburg,probablylikehere,Idon’tknowanyonewholikestobetoldwhattodoandhowtodoit.Sowewereverycarefultoinmaking sure that people in the community did not feel another layer of stress whenbuildingback.Sothatsaid,itishelpingpeopleadheretothecodes,whatevertheywereandprepareforitasbestaspossible.Someofthecodesalludetoareinsulationandheatingandcooling. Well, there is no one who should not be building way ahead of code on thoseissues,becauseitcostsyoumoneyeverydayifyoudon’tdothat.

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DidGreensburgcreateanelectriccoop?

Theydidcontractwithaprivatecompanythatbuiltthewindfarm.Sotheygottobuyallthepowertheyneedfor20yearsfromthewindfarmanditiscarriedonthelinesfromacoop thatGreensburg isnowpartof.Oneof the things Iwant to speak toon thehomes.Greensburgrebuilt300homes.Therewerenomandatesotherthenbasiccodesandtherewerenomandatestobuildbackcertainways.Forthepeoplethatwerepatientenoughandkind of studied it and built back somewhat carefully with good information, half of thehomesaverage42%moreenergyefficientthencode.Thinkaboutthat,42%moreenergyefficientthencode.Sothese150homeownersaresavingabundleofmoneyeverymonth.Thecontrastisinteresting,becausethosewhosaid“Iamnotinterested,Iamgoingtodoit‐hellIwanttodoit”theirhouseisnexttosomeonewhobuiltbackreallyenergyefficient.Theycomparebillsanditispainful.Ihaveliterallyheardofpeoplewhohavea$400utilitybillsamesizehousenextdoorthatsomeonehasa$100dollarutilitybill.Thosenumbersadd up really quickly. Now there are other advantages to building back sustainably. Butthatisonethatjusthitsthepocketbookreallyhardandreallyfast.Itcanbeassimpleasusing2x6walls insteadof2x4.Thereare anumberof elements that if you just take thetime.Onethingwearegoingtobeworkingisgettingsomegoodinformationtoyouallwhoarerebuildingsoyoucantakeadvantageoftheknowledgethatisoutthere.

Isawfromthegraphsthatitlookedlike90%inheatingcostwasreducedonschoolandcityhall–whatother thingswereable todo toachieve those typesofsavings,besidesenergyefficiency?

Thereissomealternativeenergy.Thereisgeothermalheatingandcooling.Therearesolarpanelsontheroof.Theorientationandplacementofthewindowsarekey.

What percentage of the population and the smallmom and pop businesses cameback?

One of themost painful challenges and one of the things that came out of thatwas twobusiness incubators. Because businesses, and it is true renters on the residential side aswell,ifyouwerepaying$400amonthforyourbusinessrentandtoreplacethatspaceyouhave to pay $1,000 a month it does not pencil out. So you have come up with someinnovativeways to house businesses. Sowhether businesses have to downsize or againhaveanincubatorwhereissubsidizedforaperiodoftime.TherearesomethingsthatneedtobelookedtomakethathappenbecauseitwasarealchallengeinGreensburg.Thereareatotalof18businesseslocatedinthosetwoincubatorsandthatisthebulkofbusinessesinthe town. Populationwise the town sits at about 800 people, not counting those peopleoutside theCensusarea.Therewere1,400before thestorm.Mostof thepeoplewho leftthoughwere elderly peoplewho had no energy to rebuild after the storm. Some of thepeopleleftbecausetherewerenotsomeofthebusinessesthatweretheretohousethem.

Howlongdidtaketogetontrackandgetfolks,especiallyentities,onthesamepage?

Thereistremendouspowerinoptimistic,positivevision.Ifyouallcanhelpcraftthatandput it out there, then others will follow ‐ especially government. Ideally, you wantgovernmentsbyyoursideasyouaredoing it,but the reality is that theyserveyou. It isreallyimportantasyouasacommunitytobeassertive.Youhavethisvision,youcraftthis

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visionandyouwantit.Themoreenergyandmomentumthereisforthatthequicklyitwillhappen.Thekeyis,andItalkaboutthisa lot,anarchitectneverbuildsabuildinguntil ithas been drawn. That iswhat Iwould encourage all of you to do is have a clear vision.Anotheranalogyisyoudon’tknowwhereyouaregoing,ifyouaredriving,unlessyouhavethat enddestination inmind. So this community comingupwith that enddestination inmindwillnotonlyliftyouandencourageyou,butitwillalsogiveyouafocusthateveryonecan work together to achieve. It will also help bring in resources from outside thecommunitythatwouldn’totherwisebecomingin.

HowdidGreensburgaddressthelossofthetaxbase?

Goodquestion andone only that timewill tell. There is concern about that because youhavethetaxloadononlyhalfofthepeople.Partofitisalmostlikeabusinessexpanding,youdon’talwaysknowifyouaregoingtomeetthatdemandbutyoucan’tknowuntilyouputitoutthere.Itiskindofachickenandtheeggthing.Avibrantcommunityattractsalot,likeintheeco‐tourismandbusiness,whichexpandsyourtaxbase.

Wearelookingtorebuildthechurch,isthereamodelfromGreensburg?

Therewereeightchurchesandeightchurcheshavecomeback.Soyouhaveeightchurchesserving800people.Severalofthembuiltveryenergyefficiently.Onceagain,itisaboutstewardshipanditisaboutstewardshiptoyourcongregation.Ithinkitbecomesmoreandmoreimportanttothatcongregationthatmoniesarespentprudently.IwouldconnectyouwiththeBaptistministerinGreensburg,hedidanamazingjob.Itisabeautifulverytraditionallookingchurch,builtoutoftheinsultedconcreteformblockwalls.Hisutilitybillsaremuchlowerthantheywerepriortothestorm.Heistickled,hedidwhatittookandhiscongregationistickled.Itisjustalotlesspressurewhenyouarenotsendingthatmoneyouteverymonth.

IdeasGeneratedfromAttendeesattheStakeholderMeeting:

Overall, the meeting was very positive. As his parting statement, Daniel stated hisamazementathowbeautifulitwasinWestLibertyandthesurroundingregion.LikewithGreensburg,Danielsawacultureofoutdoors‐orientedpeoplewhoareconnectedtonaturelikemany people in urban areas are not. He felt that if they couldmake Greensburg anenvironmentalvillage,thenWestLibertyhasahugeopportunity.

Meeting#7–StakeholderMeetingwithJudgeTimConleyandGailWright:

Initially,ourteammetwithJudgeConleyathisofficesinWestLiberty.Afterintroductionswe informed the County Judge Executive Tim Conley that we were there to listen andgatherideasfromlocalleadersontherebuildingofWestLiberty.

JudgeExecutiveConleygaveusarundownofwhatthegovernmenthaddonesofar:

They have established a relationship with the KY Housing Authority, which hasobviously ascertained that there is a huge need for housing. The main concernseemstoberentalstock.Mosthomeownerswerecoveredby insurancetorebuildbutasignificantportionoftheresidentswereinrentalsthatarenotcosteffectiveto

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replace.Theoriginalrentalstockwasownedby landlordswhohadpurchasedtheproperties intheneighborhoodof$30‐40kandwereabletorentthemforaround$300‐400permonth.Anyreplacementswouldcostdouble toconstructandmakethe rents too high for the locals. [Hewas open to the idea of replacement rentalstockbeinghighlyenergyefficientandworkingtoeducatethetenants that if theycut their energy expenses down to 1/3 of what they were originally, it could bepossible tohavehigherrentsbutoverall costs to the tenantwouldbeaboutwhattheywerepayingwiththeenergysavingsfactoredin.]

They have employed an architectural and engineering firm to help the residentsvisualizewhatanewertowncouldlooklike,inanefforttoretainthem(seepicturein the Master Planning Committee subsection). Along these lines he has a petproject that would be a recreational center to help encourage the youngergenerationstostayandgivethemsomethingconstructivetodo.Thebuildinghasa$12‐13millionbudgetandtheyareconsideringanenclosedyear‐roundpoolwhichwouldincreaseoperationalexpensesconsiderably.

Ingeneralthecorporatepresenceintownisdoingagoodjobofrebuildingbutthe“momandpop”storesarenot.TheyarelookingintotheideaofpayingforfacadesforMainStreet($4.5millionbudget)anddoingapublic/privatepartnershiptogetthelocalstorestorebuild.

The localhospital (ARH) is anemergency care center thatbrings$10million intothe local economy.He feels thatwhen the tragedy struck the hospital, ARH couldhavedecidedto leave,whichwouldhavehadadevastatingeffecton theeconomybuttheychosetostayandreinvest inthecommunity.Therefore,ARHneedstobethe lead agency on any rebuilding plan from a health perspective. He gave us arundownofthereconstructiongoingonpresently:twochurchesandtwobanksandagasstationarealreadybeginningreconstruction.ThetwolocalDollarStoresareexpanding.

AfterthepublicstakeholdermeetingonAugust14,wemetJudgeExecutiveConleyandGailWrightattheGovernor’sLocalIssuesConferenceinLouisville.Manythingswerediscussedinthemeeting:

Daniel’sexperiencesinGreensburgandJoplin; TherebuildingoftheJudicialCenter; Therebuildingofdowntownandtheattractionofbusinessesbacktothedowntown

area; Thedevelopmentofageothermalloopsystemconnectingthedowntownarea; Thechallengesthejudgehasfacedinrebuilding; Thepublicstakeholdermeetingandotherinputfromstakeholders; MountainTelephoneideatoerectFREEWi‐Fidistrictdowntown;and CanoeopportunitiestoCaveRunLakeandotheradventuretourismideasthrough

theFoothillsEco‐Agritourism(FEAT).

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AppendixC–StakeholderIdeasandSurveyResultsDuringthepublicmeetingonAugust14,2012,approximately55communitymembersandsomelocalandregionalofficialsattendedandherearetheideassuggested:

Implementresidentialandcommercialsolarhotwater; Improvecellularanddataservicesthroughoutthelocalarea; Employpassiveconstructiontechniquesonnewstructure; Provideeducationalandresearchopportunitiesforstudentsinrebuildingefforts; DevelopafreedowntownWi‐Fizone; Createadowntownwalkingzoneandpublicsquareforafarmers’market; Developahuntingreserve; Planwalkingpathsconnectingtown; Becomeamodelretirementcommunity; Implementon‐billfinancing; RebrandWestLibertyforadventuretourism/recreation Institutecommunityeducationprogramsandenergysavingsclasses; Addresspeakelectricaldemandissues; Promote proximity to “Hatfield and McCoy” Trails and other regional outdoor

attractions; Rebuildahealthycommunity(obesity,age,etc.); Createamixed‐usedowntowndistrict; Developlocalbicycleracesormarathons;and Implementvariouspilotprojectsdemonstratingoptionsfortherebuildingeffort.

SurveyResultsfromPublicStakeholderMeeting.

Quantative:

RuralHealth Empowering Data Geothermal Housing

4 1 5 3 22 1 4 5 31 4 2 3 53 5 4 1 22 1 5 4 34 1 5 3 21 0 1 0 15 1 4 3 24 2 5 3 15 3 4 2 14 1 2 5 35 2 3 1 41 2 3 5 45 2 4 3 14 3 5 1 2

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2 3 4 5 13 1 4 2 50 1 4 3 23 1 5 2 458 35 73 54 483.1 1.8 3.8 2.8 2.5

Qualitative–WrittenResponsesbyCategory*:

RuralHealth: Combine1and2ideaintoamutually‐supportivesystem‐2facesofthesameidea‐

andincludetheideaofamodelretirement+/orhealthcommunity‐perhapsaweightmanagement/controlcenter?

Expandonexistinghospitalnow.GoodpartnerwithARH.TakeadvantageofMed.SchoolinPikevilleandSt.ClaireMed.CenterinMorehead(Osteopath).

Itwillhavetobeupgradedinnearfuture.Thetechisavailableandwecouldallbenefitfromincreasedofefficiency(myDentalOfficeasWell)

Empowering:

GreatIdea Awesome Beforetornadotherewasnucleusof8to10bus.ThatoutofTowner’s,tourists,etc.

visitedwhileintown.Re‐establishthat.Needbuildingsbuiltsoonforrental.Ifrentcanbereasonablebuswouldreturn.

Ithinkthisisimperativeforourtown,duetoaverypooreconomiccondition,willnevergetbacktoaviablemunicipalityagain.

ARHalreadyhighlyinvolvedinITwithEMR,healthcareonEMRsince99.Alreadycommunicatingstateelectronicexchange,needbettercellularcoverageindeepvalleysandKaylaRose

MostimportantbecausewehavetogetpeoplespeakinginWLagain.Data:

Willneedconsiderablepowerrequirementandcommunicationrequirementwithfullscalepowerbackup‐needstohaveseveralpowersourcesforfullscaleoperations

Isthispossible? Co‐Judgewasworkingonaprojectlikethis.Isn'titalreadyavailablelocallyonthis? Ifthiscouldpossiblydevelop,itcouldbehuge.Agrowthresurgenceandaneconomy

thatwouldgrowandprosper. MRTCandRIHO

Geothermal:

Solar&Windhavegreatpotential.Problemwithsorghumandotherbiomasswillbesinglegrowingseason‐willbeahugetonnagerequirement.Youneedto1)considersolar,geothermal&windincombination2)DevelopRegionalEnergyCo‐op3)re‐educatepublictohavebetterenergyassets&Use

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Communitywellsrock OfcoursewearealreadyknownforSorghum.Canbedevelopedforcommercialuse,

festivalandsourceofenergy.UKwouldbeinterestedinassisting. Can'treallycommentduetolackofknowledge.Wouldliketothinkitcouldbeof

greatpotential. JasonDelambre‐MidwestCleanEnergyEnterprise NotsuresorghumistheanswerbutIliketheideaofcleanenergy

Housing:

Trainbuildersandinspectors‐Codesareinplacetosupportmostinstances Everybodyneedsshelter!Makethemexceptionallybeautifulandeveryonewillwant

one.Designpassivehomeswhichharbor"classical"architecture,consideredbeautifulbymanypeopleandwithsomedegreeofpublicity

Housingisneededtobringdispiritedresidentsback.WithhelpandinvolvementfromHabitatandFrontierHousingLocally.

Thisshouldbebasicallyagiven,andcanbewithGov.incentivesandnoGov.overregulations.

Costupfront Seeinghand‐in‐handwithcleanenergy

Other:

Addtheweightmanagement/healthpromotionepicenter‐orwellnesspromotioncenterorYouthandWellnessCenter

Developmentofareligious‐based"camp"areathatcouldpromoterest,relaxation,greenbuildings,lifeskilldevelopmentasanareaoverallhealthpromotion

Wow.Thiswasnoteasysincetheseideaswereallgood.Theyoverlapandcouldbedoneinlinkedsequence.Thanksforthisopportunitytoprovideinput.

Biomasspowerplants BrushyForkInstitutehadaseriesofmeetingsandcommitteeworkedonvarious

areas,rec,bus,tourism,etc.Manythingshavebeenimplementedfromthisonlyafewyearsago.Thisplanshouldbecontinued.Agri‐tourismissomethingthathasbeenmentionedinthisarea(Med).Needhousing‐assistedlivingand2.5rhousing.AskM.Soa‐LickingValleyCenterinWestLibertytooffercourseinenergysavings.

Pleasedon'tbleedthefewremainingsmallbusinesstofinancetheseinitiative,weneedarecyclingcenter,weneedtobeadestinationbetweenthegorgeandDanielBooneNationalforest,weneedtomakedowntownattractive‐pleasinglandscape,noATVtourism‐theywillmaybespendmoneybuyinggasforATVsandIceforbeer‐you'llneverseethemagain.Itsnotthe#oftouristsyouwant,itisthetypeoftourist.Forexample,birdwatchers,spendmoremoneythenanyothertypeoftourists.Theytendtobeeducatedandaffluent.LookatthebirdingtrussinTexas‐verysuccessful.

*Duetodifferenthandwritingstylesandlegibilityissues,quotesareclose,butmightnotbeexactlywhatcommunitystakeholdersprovided.

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AppendixD–Morgan County Long Term Recovery Team ServicesSeven months after the March 2nd, 2012 tornado and six months after founding the Morgan County Long Term Recovery Team, we have our first progress report:

Our FEMA list started with 1208 families and 24 other families have been added to give us a starting base of 1232 families recovering from the storms.

We have contacted to date 1042 families. Some attempts have been given to each family, but 190 still remain unknown as to their status, 15% of our base total.

308 Families of the 1042 contacted have unmet needs 30% of contacts. We have a potential of (308 + 190) 498 clients. We have a probability of (308 + [190 X 30%] = 57) 365 clients.

We have worked with 108 families with unmet needs sometimes providing multiple types of assistance, 35% of known families with unmet needs or 30% of probable clients. 26 of the 108 cases have been closed, 24% of the families that have been worked with but only 7% of probable clients with unmet needs. Recovery efforts take time.

A positive report is that 760 of the 1232 families are presently at a new normal, post tornado, and are considered to have no unmet needs, 62% of all families affected by the storms.

Financial assistance through MCLTRT, Red Cross, Unite, and Catholic Charities has totaled $51,595. Christian Social Services have supported the MCLTRT efforts as have other organizations and businesses. No monies have been given to individuals through MCLTRT. All monies have gone to vendors.

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AppendixE–FoundationalSupportBlue Grass Community Foundation (BGCF), established in 1967 as a tax exempt organization, is one of more than 700 community foundations across the nation. BGCF works with individuals, families, businesses, other nonprofit organizations and communities to establish permanent charitable funds to meet current and future needs. Overseen by a volunteer board of community leaders and run by professionals who are experts in local philanthropy, BGCF invests, manages and administers these charitable funds according to donors wishes. In addition, BGCF convenes community leaders and volunteers to help people come together to have the greatest collective impact for local good.

Our Foundation for Morgan County (OFMC) is a community fund at BGCF and serves as a permanent charitable resource designed to support local causes or organizations exclusively in Morgan County. Through individual donations – large and small – a local advisory board in Morgan County is able to make grants to meet the needs and vision of the community.

ADDITIONAL FUND TYPES

In addition, BGCF offers other charitable funds, including donor advised, designated and field of interests funds, to meet donors’ unique goals. Funds can be either endowed or non-endowed.

Endowed Funds

Endowed funds are for those who want to give today and long into the future. These funds enable donors to set up a permanent endowment for the benefit of the causes they are passionate about. Each year, a percentage of the fund, as guided by state law, is available to be granted to the nonprofits the donors choose. BGCF’s prudent investment strategy will ensure that the fund will be making an impact today and in perpetuity.

Non-Endowed Funds

Non-endowed funds are for those who desire to have the maximum flexibility in the timing of their giving. These funds may be invested or held in cash, and donors are able to make grants of any amount whenever they choose.

Donor Advised: This option offers donors the most flexibility in the direction of each grant from their fund. Donors may decide to give to causes related to health and education today, but decide to support efforts for disaster recovery and social welfare tomorrow. No matter what causes ignite their passion, donors can support them all from their donor advised fund.

Designated: This option offers donors the simplicity of choosing specific causes that the fund will support. If donors have defined giving goals, this option will help them achieve them by permanently supporting the nonprofits outlined in the fund agreement.

Field of Interest: This option offers donors the advantage of choosing a field of charitable work that they care about, without determining a specific nonprofit to support. For instance, their field of interest may be to support literacy programs in their hometown or to support animal rescue groups. This option helps to focus donors’ giving mission, without limiting the specific organizations they can support.

rebuilding west liberty strategic report

Documents

appendix c stakeholder

daniel wallachs comments

master planning committee

staterepresentative

westlibert thisopportunity

mayor johnwillstacy

clerk jennifersheets

treasurer brendajones