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  1. Regional Growth Planning Process Group Announces Public Meeting Thursday, November 03, 2011

    The following is excerpted from a press release issued by the Regional Growth Planning Process group. Here is the press release in its entirety.

    What: Join us in laying the groundwork for engaging people from across the region in setting a course for our future. In addition to learning more about the effort, you’ll have a front row seat as three expert teams present their qualifications for facilitating the Regional Growth Planning Process. Your feedback on the expert teams will help determine which of them will coordinate the initiative.

    When: Thursday, Nov. 17, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
    Where: Chattanoogan Hotel (Ballroom), 1201 South Broad St., Chattanooga, TN 37402

    Please RSVP to ensure we have adequate seating by emailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Please be sure to include your name, company/organizational affiliation, phone number, and email address with your RSVP.

    For more information about the process and the expert teams that will be making presentations, please see the following article (linked here) and Q&A:

    1)Which counties are included in the footprint for the planning process?
    Alabama Counties: Dekalb and Jackson
    Georgia Counties: Catoosa, Dade, Murray, Walker, Whitfield (anchored by City of Dalton)
    Tennessee Counties: Bledsoe, Bradley (anchored by City of Cleveland), Hamilton (anchored by City of Chattanooga), Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Rhea and Sequatchie

    2)What organizations and companies have participated in the stakeholder group to launch the process?

    City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, City of Cleveland, Bradley County, Whitfield County, Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency, EPB, Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, Southeast Tennessee Development District, Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, Benwood Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, Lyndhurst Foundation, Maclellan Foundation, CBL and Associates, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, McKee Foods, Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce, Shaw Industries, Cleveland-Bradley Chamber of Commerce, Unum, and CreateHere.

    3)What’s the value to citizens?
    ·      A process for effectively managing the accelerated growth the region is already experiencing through unprecedented investments by a number of industries.
    ·      A voice in planning how the region can be more prosperous and generate added economic opportunities for ourselves and our children.
    ·      A forum for better understanding the region’s “big picture” and expressing our ideas, values and priorities.
    ·      The opportunity to join with others in maintaining and enhancing what makes our communities special.

    4)What’s the value for business?
    ·      Increased community awareness about public investment decisions that support business growth.
    ·      Greater predictability in future public investments that affect business planning.
    ·      Improved local government collaboration across jurisdictional lines that increases efficiency and minimizes public service costs.

    5)What’s the value for local governments?
    ·      Playing a lead role in creating an economic legacy of job creation rooted in regional cooperation that ensures continuing prosperity for generations.
    ·      Improving financial stewardship by aligning public spending with constituent priorities, values and ideas as expressed during the planning process.
    ·      Communicating with residents about the challenges they share with people across the region and engaging them in developing broadly supported solutions.
    ·      Coordinating with neighboring jurisdictions in order to focus on the most impactful efforts that benefit the most citizens for the least cost.

    Posted by Dave Walker in Economy in Culture