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Columbus launched a comprehensive “Path to Resilience Survey” with numerous opportunities for community input as the next step in its development towards a 20-year city plan backed by a $300,000 grant.
Community input will address water and natural resource protection, infrastructure and transportation improvements, housing and community services for residents, economic vitality and support for local businesses, preservation of Columbus’ historic character and small-town identity, and flood resilience and longterm community sustainability.
“What is the priority for the people in the city is what they are looking for,” Anne Faichtinger, executive assistant to Columbus’ city manager, said. “…You hear when people need something, but sometimes it’s like ‘What do you want?’ too.”
Participants may rank their priorities for the city, review and leave comments on informational reports, share knowledge and thoughts on Columbus’ history and culture, and review the project’s timeline. Explore the survey at: www. langfordplanning.com/columbus- rcp “Public participation is essential to creating a plan that supports Columbus’s resilience, protects its heritage, and strengthens the community for generations to come,” a press release from the city read. “Residents are encouraged to take the survey, share their ideas, and help shape the future of Columbus.”
The data will be collected and compiled by Langford Community Management Services to draft a Resilient Communities Plan (RCP) spanning 2025 to 2045. The plan is a part of the Texas General Land Office’s (GLO) Resilient Communities Program that grants up to $300,000 for eligible communities to “to ensure that structures built within the community can withstand future hazards.”
“It’s really city-focused,” Faichtinger said. “It’s giving us a roadmap of where do we need to focus as grants comes up…We go back to the plan and look at what’s the priority using community input and using what we know is aging infrastructure and try to come up with what is the best thing to ask for funding for.”
Eligible activities under the program target hazard mitigation through the development and adoption of modern and resilient building codes and flood damage prevention ordinances, business best-practice education and public information activities. The program specifically targets practices to prevent flooding and flood damage.
“The Texas General Land Office created the Resilient Communities Program because they recognized that Texas communities need to prepare not just for today, but for tomorrow’s challenges too,” the survey website reads. “For the community, this means planning that considers our unique character while strengthening the ability to bounce back from events like floods, economic shifts, or growth pressures.”
The RCP kickoff with Langford’s team, city staff and community leaders was held in late March 2025. The first public meeting announcing the process occurred shortly after. The next phase, which included an existing plans assessment, drafts of base studies and the draft of resiliency goals and objectives, was submitted to the GLO in January.
The survey will close April 30. The RCP planning timeline listed on the survey website estimates for the final plan to be presented in January 2028.
