As southwest Louisiana’s population grew over the years, communities reacted to that growth as it happened. Comprehensive planning was pretty much a foreign concept, as 10/12 Industry Report details in a feature from the new issue.
But with possible industrial projects worth nearly $100 billion anticipated for the region—including some $40 billion already under construction—officials realized it might be a good idea to prepare for the impact ahead of time.
“This community’s been very accustomed to being reactive,” says Karen Clapp, who is organizing the planning effort. “Being proactive is new, but we’re really starting to have to think on our feet.”
Clapp is the executive director of the Southwest Louisiana Task Force for Growth and Opportunity, nicknamed the GO Group. She was hired last February, but the planning process by southwest Louisiana officials began in early 2013 following Sasol’s announcement of a massive potential industrial project. Local leaders wanted to coordinate the efforts of various agencies that seldom work together.
In 2014, Sasol paid for a study about how the industrial expansion would affect housing, utilities, education, workforce development, transportation, public safety, public health, the environment, small businesses and community relations in Calcasieu, Cameron, Beauregard, Jefferson Davis and Allen parishes. The study projected population growth of 22,000 for the region by 2019.
That study informs the GO Group’s research. Most of the impact is predicted for Calcasieu, so that’s where the GO Group primarily is focused, but their work will inform preparations throughout the region.
“Don’t let growth define your community,” Clapp says, summarizing the group’s mission. “Challenge your community to define what growth will look like for them, and how they can make it work for their benefit.”
The group’s steering committee includes cities and police juries, school boards, economic development groups, the Port of Lake Charles, McNeese State University and SOWELA Technical Community College. Clapp is a full-time director, paid by the City of Lake Charles and the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, but everyone else involved in the various task forces and subcommittees is a volunteer.
Volunteers are learning how various local agencies and organizations function and discussing ways to improve those systems. Much of that work so far has been happening behind the scenes, though they’re also seeking input and feedback from the general public.
Read the full feature, and check out the full lineup of stories from the new quarterly issue of 10/12 Industry Report. Send feedback, story ideas and company news to editor@1012industryreport.com.
