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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION HONORING CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AGENCY FOR PLANNING (CMAP)
WHEREAS, the Chicago Metropolitan Planning Agency (CMAP) was created in 2005 and serves as the official regional planning organization for northeastern Illinois including Cook County; and
WHEREAS, CMAP developed and now guides implementation of the GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional plan that establishes coordinated strategies to help the region's 284 communities address transportation, housing, economic development, open space, the environment, and other quality-of-life issues; and
WHEREAS, CMAP's Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program, initiated with funding from a HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant in 2010, provides assistance to communities across the region to undertake planning projects that advance the principles of GO TO 2040; and
WHEREAS, to date, the CMAP LTA program has supported the initiation of 160+ projects with local governments, non-profits, and intergovernmental organizations to address local issues at the intersection of transportation, land use, and housing, including the natural environment, economic growth, and community development; and
WHEREAS, Cook County's Department of Planning and Development submitted a successful application for technical assistance for the development of a new Consolidated Plan and Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy to the CMAP LTA program; and
WHEREAS, CMAP provided related technical assistance between October 2013 and January 2015 valued at $150,000 and assisted the County in combining both Federally-required strategic plans into a single planning process and action-oriented document known as Planning for Progress for the first time in its history and with the encouragement of related Federal funders HUD and EDA; and
WHEREAS, CMAP involvement in Planning for Progress helped ensure that the resulting plan was consistent with GO TO 2040, inclusive of extensive data compilation/analysis, facilitated robust stakeholder/public engagement; effectively incorporated related input, and effectively summarized relevant needs, resources, goals, priorities, and strategies; and
WHEREAS, the technical assistance the County received from CMAP related to Planning for Progress with full support from and engagement with the Department of Planning and Development within the Bureau of Economic Development, significantly enhanced internal capacity to effectively plan for and conduct outreach related to economic development, affordable housing, and community development; and
WHEREAS, CMAP remains a strong partner for Cook County based on additional technical assistance in support of regional initiatives including efforts to streamline truck permitting as well as support for the Chicago Metro Metals Consortium; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the Department of Planning and Development and the Bureau of Economic Development as well as the more than five million residents of Cook County, do hereby honor CMAP, celebrate their legacy of comprehensive, targeted, and innovative planning and technical assistance, and hereby express gratitude for their work in service of Cook County; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable individual copy of this Resolution be presented to CMAP as a token of our great esteem and acknowledgement of their service and partnership.
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