LCRPC Gets its Kicks on Route 66

In early June, LCRPC's Executive Director, Emily Rabbe, attended the National Association of Regional Council's (NARC) national conference held in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Emily was in attendance for three (3) reasons:

• To learn from other regional organizations about the projects and services they offer their communities.

• To share the work of LCRPC, especially our resiliency work by highlighting our Social Resilience Project and ways Lincoln County responded to and recovered from the 2023/2024 series of winter storms.

• To accept the NARC 2026 Rural Regional Achievement Award for our Prioritized Site Inventory for Affordable Housing Development.

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The conference was a wonderful learning opportunity to hear about projects on a range of topics: transportation, downtown revitalization, data centers, housing, resiliency, community engagement, and brownfields, to name a few. Emily came back invigorated with ideas to replicate in Lincoln County that are practical and beneficial for our towns.

It was also an honor for Emily to present on the Social Resilience Project. Her session was on June 9th and she partnered with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission to discuss resilience efforts, comparing and contrasting work in a rural, coastal area versus a major metropolitan area in the middle of the US. The session was well-attended with about 40 attendees asking thoughtful questions. A number of participants stopped Emily after the session to ask more about how they could replicate the SRP in their region.

The highlight of the trip was accepting the 2026 Rural Regional Achievement Award from the National Association of Regional Councils. LCRPC was recognized for their 2025 Prioritized Site Inventory for Affordable Housing Development: Property Profiles - both for having the longest name for a plan as well as for it's benefits to Lincoln County and its ability to be replicated by other agencies. The NARC President, Chris Barnett, in his award remarks noted that housing is likely the biggest crisis facing the United States and this Inventory is the first of its kind. The intent is to provide developers with a catalog of potential properties, completing the initial due diligence on their behalf to help lower costs.

The Site Inventory was a labor of love for LCRPC staff - especially Laura Graziano (Community Resilience Planner) who worked with Emily and Camoin Associates to prepare it. The Inventory will be updated as new parcels are identified, additional due diligence is determined, and as parcels are developed.

Congratulations to LCRPC staff on this incredible achievement and for showcasing Lincoln County on the national stage!