TO:
FROM:
DATE:
RE: Selected Topic and Discussion of Portfolio Structure
This memo is sent in line with my intent to explain my chosen topic and portfolio structure for my project. For my problem, I have decided to focus on the need of Gulfport City in Mississippi for the development of better roads. At present, the entire state is actively conducting various reconstruction projects to normalize the traffic as well as the business and work environment within the area. I believe that focusing on this topic will be timely and beneficial for those affected by this problem.
For the structure of my project, I planned to discuss my chosen state problem in detail. In this part, I intend to describe how this problem is affecting the city and its residents. I would develop this part in the hopes of stressing the urgency of this problem. Using relevant literatures, this would be followed up by the current activities done for the roadway reconstruction at Gulfport. This would help me identify specific issues that need to be addressed to solve the major local problem. Please do inform me of any changes I would have to make with this planned structure as well as suggestions that would improve my output.
Sincerely Yours,
1 Sept. 2006. In the wake of destruction: contractors overcome obstacles to rebuild the Gulf Coast. Equipment Today Magazine. 14 Dec. 2006
This article describes how Hurricane Katrina had caused great devastation to a number of areas within the United States. Interviewed people during the aftermath of the calamity expressed their feeling of gratitude that the residents of the affected areas have remained determined and goal-oriented in bringing their states back to recovery. Focus of the discussion is on the different reconstruction projects and progress achieved by affected states including Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
. 4 March 2006. Mississippi rebuilding: Gulf towns plan rise from rubble. Lexington Herald-Leader. 14 Dec. 2006
This article describes how the commercial district of Mississippi have been devastated by a major hurricane. The needs of the state to re-establish homes, business establishment, basic utilities and several infrastructures have been cited. Various project developers had been interviewed in this article. Here, the different efforts, including contacted architects and proposed reconstructive plans have been described as well.
3 Jul. 2006. Major highway projects keep Mississippians moving. Mississippi Business Journal. 14 Dec. 2006
The article provides a description of the different highway projects planned for the recovery of Mississippi from the hurricane. Involved project developers were consulted for the description of the specific changes and reconstruction effort that will be carried out for each of the state’s major roads and bridges. Interviewed project developers stressed that the aim of these reconstruction projects is not only to rebuild the roadways but also to integrate aesthetic features.
23 Jul. 2006. Gulfport recreating itself into exciting and picturesque city. The Sun Herald. 14 Dec. 2006
The article describes the plan of Gulfport’s mayor and developers in reviving the dynamism and beauty of the city. This is in line with maintaining the identity of the city as a center for commercial activities and tourism. Specific reconstruction plans for the major communities within the city are identified in the discussion.
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
RE: Progress Report
This memo is sent in order to inform you of the current status of the project I have planned on doing. Regarding the problem I have chosen to work, I am still settled on pursuing this selected topic. I have already found a number of literatures, mostly electronic resources, which I could use in making this project. I have already decided whom to address my report. By browsing over the literatures I have collected, I have identified some specific issues from my main local problem. This development has helped me in developing the possible solution that would directly address my chosen state concern.
I also intend to stick to the portfolio structure, which I have proposed as I believe this would make my project output more comprehensive and convincing. At present, the difficulty I am encountering with this task is the acquisition of more varied literatures. As this is an ongoing problem, literature number and variety is significantly limited. Other than this, my project is progressing well.
Sincerely Yours,
(Your Name)
(Address)
(Telephone Number)
14 December 2006
Mayor
City of Gulfport
City Hall
2309 15th Street
Gulfport, MS 39501
Dear
Greetings!
This letter is in line with the reconstructive efforts the city of Gulfport have been conducting in order to revive the city from the effects of previous disasters. One of the main priorities of these reconstruction plans is to reconstruct the major roadways within Gulfport. While significant progress had been achieved for the past year, project developers and contractors alike are experiencing major issues that are hindering the projects’ progress. In particular, reported need for funds and shortage of manpower has been identified as major concerns.
For this reason, I intend to relay these issues so that appropriate actions may be carried out. Fund-raising efforts and coordination with human resource agencies may be appropriate to address these problems. Action to these problems may increase the speed of roadway reconstruction projects, leading to the immediate benefit of the city locals. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this letter. The city of Gulfport will greatly appreciate your prompt action on this matter.
Respectfully Yours,
Recommendation Report:
Abstract
In this recommendation report, the development of better roads for the city of Gulfport was taken into account. Based from research, the roadways of the city had been greatly affected by strong calamities including the recent hurricane Katrina. Road closures had resulted to abnormal traffic as well as major disruptions in the area’s business and work sector. A number of reconstruction activities are being done in the city as well as in the entire Mississippi state so as to rebuild its highways. While significant progress had been made by these reconstruction projects, certain issues would have to be addressed so to speed up their development. In particular, these issues include the need for additional funds and human resource. In order to address these issues, it has been suggested that fund-raising programs and coordination with human resource agencies can be of use to these problems. The city mayor is then encouraged to implement these solutions for the benefit of the city and its residents.
Problem
Mississippi, particularly Gulfport City, is one of the areas that had been greatly affected by powerful calamities such as hurricane Katrina. Such strong natural disasters took away homes, businesses as well as beautiful historic sites that made the Gulfport Coast a popular recreation spot for both locals and tourists. In the attempt to bring back the old city, members of the community as well as relevant local agencies have been continuously active in conducting activities that would rebuild Gulfport City (Scallan). Aside from refurbishment of the city’s business and residential areas, the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) has been busy rebuilding the roadways within the state that have badly damaged by the previous calamities. As explained by the department, bringing back the highways within the Gulfport and the entire state is a top priority considering that traveling by road is the primary means of getting around the area (Lofton).
Blocked and damaged roads not only affect the city’s locals but its important economic and business aspects as well. Due to blocked roadways, the dynamism of the city’s business and trade sector had significantly reduced. Local work sectors have also been affected as getting to work sites become difficult if not impossible for most workers. Investors for future businesses in the area have also been greatly affected by problematic transportation. Tourism is also an important issue as getting to the area’s scenic and historic spots have become impossible because of blocked highways. These branched out problems greatly affects the city of Gulfport as it is considered as the state’s commercial hub and center for international tourism (Gallman).
At present, there had been major developments in the state’s roadways. Business establishments are gradually reopening and houses have been rebuilt. Some major roadways have already been re-opened. However, some highways remained closed as major roadways were prioritized. Moreover, though some roadways had already been re-opened, repairs were only done just to quickly achieve normal road traffic; thus, reconstructing the makeshift roads should be done to build better highways. This problem on building better roads for Gulfport city will then be made possible through the allocation of more funds as well as the employment of more workforces that would speed up the creation of better roads for the city. This recommendation report is then directed to Mayor Brent Warr, mayor of Gulfport.
Research: Efforts to Re-build the Gulf Coast
After Hurricane Katrina destroyed the state’s business sectors and infrastructures, it has been the priority of Mississippi to work immediately on the re-opening of its roadways. For Gulfport and the Mississippi Coastline, Warren Paving was assigned to do the necessary repairs for Highway 90. The rebuilding project’s general manager, Tony Broome, noted the workforce planned to start working on badly destroyed areas first. The original rebuilding project was even replaced with another due to the severity of some road destructions ().
The project so far had been going smoothly as traffic had been re-routed, resulting to a completely blocked off south city area. The reconstructive efforts and activities directed by Paving on the other hand, had proved to be beneficial to the townspeople as normal traffic gradually began to flow again. It has been noted however that the roads were not fully reconstructed yet and were only done in order to quickly normalize the traffic. As these repairs were only temporary, further reconstructions are still required ().
An important roadway in the area is the Bay St, Louis Bridge, which unfortunately, had been destroyed by the hurricane as well. This has made it difficult for local residents as short distance drive suddenly turned to almost an hour commuting time. Efforts to rebuild this important roadway are also well underway. A joint project worth 6.8 million between Granite Construction Co. and Archer western Contractors was developed for the reconstruction. People behind this project noted that instead of just rebuilding the bridge, the contractors plan to develop a better one. Specifically, the original bridge was about twenty feet above the water surface. In its replacement, the builders would develop an 85 feet infrastructure that would no longer require a drawbridge. The project developers noted that with this structural enhancement, the bridge will have the strength to withstand strong storms and other calamities (Benninck).
The project is planned to be finished by November 2007. Based on initial assessments, the project is not encountering any major obstacles. Granite Construction Co. has noted that in terms of equipment necessary for the creation of the new bridge, these had been well taken care of and their project plan would ensure that the equipment to be used will be available until the end of the project. The availability of the materials for the reconstruction is also not an issue among the developers. The contractors however, noted that they encountering difficulties in finding enough workers that would operate the equipment for the reconstruction project (Benninck).
With sufficient workers, the project could have gone through three shifts. This could greatly increase the progress speed of the project. Specifically, additional laborers, crane operators and pile drivers are needed in order to push though and speed up this reconstruction effort. In addition to the problem with the laborers, homes and apartment building that have been washed away during the hurricane. Granite Construction Co. considered this as a major problem as well that needs to be addressed immediately (Benninck). For this reason, additional project planners and funds for the housing project will be necessary.
Proposed Solution
The cited literatures clearly state that the city of Gulfport, its residents, private sector and relevant local agencies are working together in order to help the are recover, particularly in terms of its roadways. However, while significant progress has been made, various issues within the projects appear to hinder their faster accomplishment. In the case of the reconstruction of Highway 90, the temporarily fixed roadways would need further reconstructive efforts in order to develop a better highway. The Bay St. Louis Bridge on the other hand is in need of additional workers to speed up the development of a new and better bridge that would connect the communities within the area. In general, the reconstruction of better roads for the city of Gulfport is in need of more funds and human resources.
For this, a two fold solution may be proposed to address these major issues. In order to acquire a greater budget for the reconstruction projects, fund-raising programs should be conducted. The city mayor for instance, can carry out this solution by contacting private sectors willing to contribute to both major and minor reconstruction projects in the city. By means of solicitation, funds as well as people and equipment may be obtained. For the accumulation of greater workforces, the local administration of the city may coordinate with the city\s human resource agencies to strengthen the promotion on the need for more construction laborers. The mayor may also contact other states to help out with the human resource shortage.
Aside from strengthening the promotion of these job opportunities, the city mayor should also coordinate with the agencies to speed up the screening process for the employment of these construction workers. For workers who would be recruited outside the state, the mayor should do some form of motivation to encourage workers from other states to help out. For instance, the employment of these workers would include certain allowances as well as temporary housing. With these supportive efforts, the city of Gulfport can experience faster roadway developments and immediate normalization of transportation.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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