Educate the public about the hazards of living on a barrier island. The town's Emergency Manager recommends this proposal because informed citizens are better prepared in emergencies and are more willing to support mitigation programs. Cost: 0/6
Spend extra money on educational materials and activities to increase the program's effectiveness. (+2/+0)
Immediately ends the current round of play. You will not vote on any more proposals and will begin the next scenario. Half of your current budget (rounded down) will be carried over to the next round. Cost: 0
Widen and improve the highway, easing traffic and making travel to nearby urban areas easier. Popular with vacation residents and other visitors. Increases the town's popularity and reduces congestion during evacuation. Cost: 6/1
Build a bridge in addition to the other highway improvements. The bridge replaces the ferry service that is currently used to cross the channel to the north, dramatically improving access to the mainland. (+4/+0)
Acquire undeveloped land and preserve it in its current state. Favored by environmentalists. Open space benefits the local ecology and changes the spatial distribution of future growth. Cost: 3/1
This option determines which type of land will be considered for open space acquisition. Not all land in the target areas will become open space, and some open space may be found outside the target areas.
Instead of purchasing it outright, land can be acquired by Transfer of Development Rights. TDR separates the right to develop land from the particular parcel of land itself. The open space land is zoned unbuildable, but the owner is permitted to transfer or sell the unused development density to another location. Areas where building is allowed will have denser development as a result. (-2/+1)
Local government can require landowners to sell land or transfer development rights if it is in the public interest that the land remain undeveloped. A mandatory open space purchase allows the acquisition of the most important land parcels, but faces more public opposition than a voluntary program. Acquiring land that is available on the open market, while more popular, may lead to fragmentation of open space and the development of adjacent parcels, making it less effective as a preservation technique than requiring the sale. (+0/+2)
Reduce hazard vulnerability of built structures in the city by retrofitting grandfathered buildings to meet modern building codes. The emergency manager favors this proposal, as do the permanent residents and businessmen who would benefit from it. (Vacation residents generally live in newer homes and are unaffected.) Cost: 2/2
These options provide extra hazard redution to particular categories of building. (+1/+1)
This option determines which type of hazard is mitigated against. Storm surge and flooding hazards affect low-lying and shore areas, while wind hazard affects the whole island.
An education and community resource program, in conjunction with regulatory streamlining of the permitting process, will help many landowners to retrofit their buildings. A low-income grant program, while costly, will help make retrofitting an option for those who would otherwise be unable to afford the modifications. (+2/+0)
Revise and update the municipal codes related to water and sewer provisioning. Reforming the local utility will provide better and more reliable service with fewer breakdowns and outages. Cost: 0/2
Improve and modernize the town's water supply and sewage handling station, increasing the capacity and reliability of these services. (+3/+0)
Limit the number of permits issued for septic tanks. The island's ecology can only handle a finite number of septic tanks; restricting their number protects the environment and keeps this inherent carrying capacity from being exceeded. (+0/+2)
This option determines how extensively the city will provide water and sewer services. New development requires adequate services to be viable.
Prevent electrical power outages due to fallen trees and decrease the hazard from wind-borne debris by trimming overgrown, dead, and damaged trees in and around the city. This is a sound hazard-prevention practice, required by law in many places. Cost: 1/1
Redevelop the old industrial waterfront near the city's center into an attractive commercial district. Businesses of all types favor this proposal. Cost: 6/3
Spend extra money to build public facilities that will draw tourists, like piers, marinas, and pedestrian malls. (+2/+0)
Redevelopment is normally encouraged by providing loans and grants to local businesses that fit the city's development plan. To reduce the cost of redevelopment, tax breaks and loosened zoning requirements can provide greater development flexibility for interested businesses. (-2/+0)
Purchase the worst-damaged properties and convert them to open space so that landlords and homeowners don't rebuild in hazardous locations. The 20 most-hazardous destroyed landuses will be purchased. Cost: 8/3
Condemning heavily-damaged buildings reduces the monetary cost of purchasing the land at the expense of political goodwill. (-2/+3)
Update building codes to reduce the hazard vulnerability and ecological impact of reconstructed buildings. While everyone supports making buildings safer and cleaner, some residents dislike the increase in cost of rebuilding. Cost: 0/6
Invest money in the reconstruction of the downtown area, where the community's economic core is housed. Business interests support this proposal. Cost: 6/0
Change zoning to allow mixed-use development downtown and provide grants to encourage conversion of buildings to multipurpose designs during reconstruction. (+1/+4)
Protect the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) from flooding again. Cost: 1/1
Educate the public about the hazards of living on a barrier island. The town's Emergency Manager recommends this proposal because informed citizens are better prepared in emergencies and are more willing to support mitigation programs. Cost: 0/6
Spend extra money on educational materials and activities to increase the program's effectiveness. (+2/+0)
Immediately ends the current round of play. You will not vote on any more proposals and will begin the next scenario. Half of your current budget (rounded down) will be carried over to the next round. Cost: 0
Make highway improvements during the course of the normal repairs due to storm damage. A wider highway will reduce congestion both during evacuations and normal tourist trips to the mainland, and will be less susceptible to flooding. Cost: 6/1
Build a bridge to replace the ferry service across the channel, in addition to the other improvements. The availability of post-disaster funding makes this option more affordable than it would usually be. (+3/+0)
Develop a municipal plan for preserving and protecting historically important buildings and sites in the city. Attitudes towards this proposal are mixed: residents value the town's unique character, but are concerned about infringements on their property rights. Cost: 3/5
Create a small government office that monitors the wetlands and other ecologically sensitive areas for problems. Environmentalists and bird-watchers support this proposal. Cost: 3/3
Build a seawall to protect property and buildings in the downtown area from flooding during hurricanes and major storms. Seawalls are expensive but effective. Their effects on land erosion is a subject of considerable debate. Cost: 5/3
Organize community opposition against the casino, passing ordinances to prevent its establishment. Cost: 1/7
Renourishment replaces the lost sand on the beach with sand from another location. Cost: 4/0
Promote beach-independent tourism by advertising the attractions of the local bird sanctuary. Cost: 2/1
Set up a program that will inform the populace when contaminants are detected in the water and instruct them on measure to protect themselves. Cost: 1/2
Reduce mosquito populations by eliminating stagnant waters where they breed from public and private properties in the city. Cost: 2/3
Build a shiny new community center. A number of additional features can be incorporated into its design. Cost: 4/2
A library benefits local residents and increases the town's appeal as a place to live. (+2/+0)
Providing office and function space for non-profits, charities, and support groups assists citizens with lower incomes. (+1/+1)
A water park stimulates business and helps draw visitors. (+2/+0)
Create a community vision statement to shape the town's future development. Considerable revisions to the zoning ordinances will be required, as well as substantial community involvement, if it is to be effective. Cost: 1/3
Protect the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) from flooding again. Cost: 1/1
Educate the public about the hazards of living on a barrier island. The town's Emergency Manager recommends this proposal because informed citizens are better prepared in emergencies and are more willing to support mitigation programs. Cost: 0/6
Spend extra money on educational materials and activities to increase the program's effectiveness. (+2/+0)
Immediately ends the current round of play. You will not vote on any more proposals and will begin the next scenario. Half of your current budget (rounded down) will be carried over to the next round. Cost: 0
Provide money to businesses affected by floods to help them stay in business. Cost: 3/1
Widen and improve the highway, easing traffic and making travel to nearby urban areas easier. Popular with vacation residents and other visitors. Increases the town's popularity and reduces congestion during evacuation. Cost: 6/1
Build a bridge in addition to the other highway improvements. The bridge replaces the ferry service that is currently used to cross the channel to the north, dramatically improving access to the mainland. (+4/+0)
Develop a municipal plan for preserving and protecting historically important buildings and sites in the city. Attitudes towards this proposal are mixed: residents value the town's unique character, but are concerned about infringements on their property rights. Cost: 3/5
Prevent future flooding by increasing the coverage and capacity of the city's storm sewers. Cost: 4/0
Make a competitive proposal for the prestigious Johnson-Gulf Institute to locate its new marine research center on Hurricane Island. An academic institution would add diversity to the city's economic mix. Cost: 2/5
Create more inexpensive housing by allowing the development of smaller homes with fewer amenities: houses on smaller lots, higher-density housing, mother-in-law apartments, and so on. Cost: 0/5
Create a small government office that monitors the wetlands and other ecologically sensitive areas for problems. Environmentalists and bird-watchers support this proposal. Cost: 2/2
Reduce the number of potential exposures by decreasing the size of the mosquito population. Cost: 2/0
Businesses in cities that participate in the Community Rating System (CRS) can receive discounts on flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Cost: 1/6
Pass stringent regulations to penalize manufacturers that release pollutants into the environment. Cost: 0/2
Promote tourism by advertising the attractions of the town. Cost: 2/1
Conduct public-awareness campaigns to let people know how to reduce their risk of exposure to mosquitos that carry Black Swan Virus. Cost: 1/3
Discourage residential expansion by raising property taxes. Though unpopular, increased taxes also put more funds in the city's coffers. Cost: -1/4
Discourage economic expansion by raising sales taxes. Though unpopular, increased taxes also put more funds in the city's coffers. Cost: 0/3
Establish a business-friendly atmosphere by reducing licensing fees and streamlining the application process. Cost: 2/3
Promote housing development by relaxing ordinances that regulate the building of houses and condominiums, making it cheaper and easier for developers to build them. Cost: 1/3
Help the industral park deal with the toxic runoff problem. Cost: 2/1
What type of assistance to provide.
Slow commercial growth by limiting the number of establishments allowed within the city. Cost: 0/2
What businesses to restrict
Protect stores in the downtown area from flooding by elevating and floodproofing them. Cost: 4/3
A low-income grant program helps make retrofitting an option for those who would otherwise be unable to afford the modifications. (+2/+0)
Enforce the town's regulations on septic and sewage systems with draconian ruthlessness to prevent future contamination of the wetlands. Cost: 1/4
Build revetments and retaining walls to prevent the erosion of land from underneath buildings. Cost: 4/1
Solicit a the development of an industrial facility by providing a package of financial and regulatory incentives. Cost: 4/2
Solicit only eco-friendly industries. (+0/+2)
Provide the industrial park with economic relief in a time of difficulty in the form of tax breaks. Cost: 1/3
Prevent electrical power outages due to fallen trees and decrease the hazard from wind-borne debris by trimming overgrown, dead, and damaged trees in and around the city. This is a sound hazard-prevention practice, required by law in many places. Cost: 1/1
Undercurrent stabilizers are concrete-filled tubes placed on the off-shore bottom to dissipate wave energy and encourage sediment deposits. They are not a traditional erosion-combatting measure supported by the Army Corps of Engineers. Cost: 6/2
Charge non-residents hefty fees for parking, beach access, and the like to put a damper on the town's popularity. Cost: 1/2
Build a water filtration and ozonification plant that can purify the town's water supply and ensure that there are no harmful microorganisms are in the drinking water. Cost: 5/1
Modify zoning regulations to require that a certain fraction of new housing development be set aside for low and moderate-income home buyers. Cost: 0/4
Make the program voluntary and provide incentives for developers who build affordable housing. (+3/-2)
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