The Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency is accepting public comments on its draft Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy through this Friday afternoon.

The CEDS serves as a blueprint for economic resiliency for the Omaha area’s six-county region, MAPA said in a news release.

MAPA is recognized as an Economic Development District by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The CEDS is a requirement to seek funds from EDA’s public works and economic adjustment programs.

In the strategy, MAPA presents a road map to strengthen and diversify the regional economy through the collaboration of the public and private sectors. It builds upon the work of several recent, major planning initiatives including Heartland 2050, the 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan, the Greater Omaha Chamber’s Prosper Omaha 2.0 and ConnectGO initiatives and Metro Smart Cities.

“This update to the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy is important for the region especially following the 2019 floods in the MAPA region and the financial impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Don Gross, MAPA’s community and economic development manager.

Find the draft at mapacog.org/projects/ceds.

Written comments must be received by 4:30 p.m. Friday via email to mapa@mapacog.org.