Public input sought as Lee leaders plan for the future

LEESBURG — Lee County officials are inviting citizens to help chart the county’s course of the future.

As work gets underway to draft a comprehensive plan for the next 20 years, Lee leaders say they will seek input from residents throughout the community.

Lee County’s Comprehensive Plan is part of an overall regional strategy to gain input from citizens and to establish guidelines and directives that will focus on the overall economic development of several counties and communities throughout Southwest Georgia.

“The public is encouraged to attend and provide input on what it views as needs and opportunities and potential future goals and policies for Lee County, Leesburg and Smithville,” said Lee County Co-Manager Mike Sistrunk. “The input will be utilized to assist in developing the Lee County, Leesburg and Smithville Joint Comprehensive Plan.

“Really, this is something our County Commissioners will do — they will set forth the plans and decide how and when they will be implemented. But we do encourage input from anyone who wants to attend these meetings.”

According to the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission’s Planning website, the process involves an inventory of resources such as land, natural and cultural needs, and opportunities as well as economic, human and governmental concerns. After an analysis of the current state of these resources, a vision is created for the future.

Georgia law requires every county and all municipalities within the state to draft and update a comprehensive plan, which includes five-year updates, 10 years of implementation guidelines and an overall 20-year vision.

Barbara Reddick, planning director for the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission, said most counties and municipalities submit joint plans.

“Counties have the opportunity to work with our regional commission to develop and submit their plans or they can hire private consultants,” Reddick said. “Lee County’s comprehensive plan is up for renewal, and they are working with us to draft their new plan. Our senior planner, Steve O’Neil, will work with residents and elected government officials to draft out their plan.”

A Comprehensive Plan documents and illustrates what a community looks like today and what direction it has decided it wants to go in the future. It includes assessments of existing resources and issues, projections of future conditions and needs, Reddick explained. The plan also serves as a policy guide, and it provides a framework for future land use decision-making and the physical development of the county or municipality.

“The plan will address growth, buildings and infrastructure,” said Sistrunk.

Reddick said a comprehensive plan looks at future needs.

“The comprehensive plan is a method of translating the community’s values into specific actions,” she said. “It covers an approximate time frame of 20 years, but it is assumed that shorter-term reviews will keep it current with the changing needs of the community.”

The comprehensive plan is not a zoning ordinance, a subdivision regulation, a budget, a capital improvement program or any other regulatory document.

“It is meant to provide the framework for the development of tools to implement the goals of a community,” Reddick said. “It helps a community determine how to plan for growth. Lee County is growing. This plan will help them take a closer look at population, housing, infrastructure and the things they will need in the future.

“Every community is different, but a comprehensive plan is needed so community leaders can have a written guideline to follow as they move forward.”

One of the tools used to help identify needs and opportunities is a SWOT Analysis.

“The acronym stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats,” Reddick said. “It is important for the public to share their perception as to community strengths and weaknesses, since they are the ones who will be impacted by the plan. It also is important for leaders to identify opportunities as well as threats or barriers that might hinder progress — that’s anything that might throw them off course or keep them from meeting their goals.”

To get the planning underway, two countywide public forums will be held in August at the T. Page Tharp Governmental Building in the Kinchafoonee Conference Room. The first is scheduled for Aug. 10 at 6 p.m. to discuss and give input to the perceived needs and opportunities in Lee County. The second, scheduled for 6 p.m. on Aug. 31, will focus on goals and opportunities.