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Commissioner Brown - County Manager - To Approve a Contract with Design Workshop and Appropriate the Necessary Funds to Create a 2040 Community Vision for Gaston County ($140,120)
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STAFF CONTACT
Gina Shell - Office of the County Manager - 704-866-3038
BUDGET IMPACT
The County will accept and appropriate $60,015 from Gaston Together after collection of contributions from public and private sectors. Additionally, the County will appropriate $80,105 from County fund balance. This appropriation will cover the entire amount of the County's contributions for this effort. Any remaining costs of the visioning effort will be paid by Gaston Together with outside funds.
BUDGET ORDINANCE IMPACT
$80,105 will be appropriated from Fund Balance.
BACKGROUND
The County is partnering with Gaston Together to lead the effort to create a long-term community vision.
Other financial and in-kind contributing partners include the municipalities in the county, Gaston County Schools, Gaston College, Belmont Abbey College, Gaston Business Association, Gaston Community Foundation, and CaroMont Health. Many other partners will be identified and included as the work of the Steering Committee ramps up.
Securing the services of a dedicated professional consultant is critical to the success of an effort of this scale, applying technical expertise to interpret complex datasets; ensuring a robust, transparent, and fully inclusive process; facilitating a path to decision-making from varying opinions. The 21-person Steering Committee, composed entirely of Gaston County residents and leaders, will rely on the consultant for the day to day work behind citizen and stakeholder engagement.
The visioning process will include at least 12 robust public engagement sessions with compilation of all results; review and analysis of relevant data and existing strategic and planning documents; coordination with public and non-profit sector stakeholders; facilitation of Steering Committee mee...
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