Reports - Mississippi Renewal

THE GOVERNOR’S COMMISSION REPORT | 97state and local business organizationsand agencies to be aware of all smallbusiness assistance.This director should work withChambers of Commerce in the regionto set up classes and training programs.Once the Coast Chamber returns topermanent offices, the mobile communicationscenter donated by the DetroitMetro Chamber should be madeavailable as a Mobile Business ResourceCenter and rotate from among communities,making it easy for business ownersto visit the site, receive Survival Kits,ask questions, and generally preparetheir businesses for the future disasters.The position may be created witha grant from an existing disaster reliefprogram, but the Mississippi Legislatureor local county governments shouldcreate a mechanism to fund the positionpermanently.Secure an Updated Populationand Business CensusesMarket data is critical to small business,including population data from thePopulation Census conducted every 10years, and business data from the Censusof Business conducted in years endingin 2 and 7. Prior to Katrina, an abundanceof good population and businessdata was available, but with severalneighborhoods completely obliterated,and populations shifted or displaced,existing data has limited use. Recoverywill require accurate data, and developersconsidering the market will requirefeasibility studies with better informationthan those currently available. TheUnited States Department of Commerceshould conduct an off-year populationcensus and an off-schedule businesscensus in 2006. The business censuswould be updated as scheduled in 2007,but data from the national Census ofBusiness usually takes two years to becomeavailable at the county and metrolevels. These two, off-schedule censuseswould be taken only for the MississippiCoast and, therefore, data should beavailable more quickly.Create a Cellular Phone DirectoryServiceKatrina highlighted the reliance onwireless communications, especiallyin the hours and days following a majordisaster. Unfortunately, no cellularphone directories exist. Cellular carriersshould create a pool of numbersthat can be accessed after an emergency,with appropriate privacy protections inplace. Of course cell customers shouldhave the option to be excluded fromthe directory assistance program, butthe ability to call an information linefor those cell numbers in an emergencywould ease some of the desperation followinga catastrophe.Create Business ImprovementDistrict AuthoritiesTo encourage small businesses to locatein city centers and to follow theapproaches advocated during the MississippiRenewal Forum, local munici-Katrinahighlighted thereliance onwirelesscommunications,especially in thehours and daysfollowing a majordisaster.