Hart Co. Working on Comprehensive Plan

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

Public comments are still being gathered in Hart County as it works to update its Comprehensive Plan.

Comprehensive Plans cover proposed county initiatives over a ten-year period and typically include topics such as plans for land-use development and public works projects.

Georgia law dictates the plan must be updated every ten years and submitted to the State.

At its recent meeting, the Hart County Board of Commissioners heard from County Administrator Terrell Partain on how the update process is going.

Partain said they are still gathering comments from the public.

“This is just information gathering,” he said. “No opinions from us, no opinions from the facilitators. That information is being gathered to put into a pool and statistics worked out from it.”

Partain said that information will then be discussed at a meeting next month.

“April 18th is the date for the next meeting. Hopefully, by that date, the data gathered will be put together so we can get a look at what the people think,” he said.

So far, a number of public hearings have been held to get input from citizens.

Partain told the Board three public hearings were held Saturday, March 18. However, he says turnout was low.

He said that is why he is also asking Hart County citizens who cannot attend the public hearings to fill out a survey.

“We have survey forms that I want everyone to get one, fill them out and pass them out to their neighbors,” Partain explained. “We want all the input we can get from everybody. We want a broad view of what everybody wants. They can drop them off here. They can drop them off at Hartwell City Hall and Bowersville City Hall or at the Chamber office, and they can mail them back to me.”

The surveys are available online at the Hart County Web site or people can stop by the Hart County Commission office and pick one up.