The Covington Digital News Digital Edition April 10, 2015 | Page 6

IN DEPTH Friday, April 10, 2015 EDGE OF TOMORROW Newton County Tomorrow group ready to plan, collaborate BY BRYAN FAZIO I n Newton County’s past government groups worked separately, so when the water authority heard that the school board was working to build a high school down Hwy. 36 it was a bit of a surprise. The water authority had to work on getting pipes properly equipped to handle Alcovy High School and any neighborhoods that would be associated with it, all the way down Hwy. 36. That was Newton County’s yesterday. Tuesday was the second meeting of Newton County Tomorrow, a nonprofit group originally formed years ago that was recently reorganized to help plan and shape the future of the county. Newton County Tomorrow gathered at Oxford City Hall Tuesday, along with group facilitators John Devine and Burke Walker of the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission. Devine asked the group several questions about planning and collaborating, helping to jump start Newton County Tomorrow’s efforts. Those efforts will help the group create future planning, ranging from a comprehensive plan to ways to shape Newton County’s growth, to construction and beyond. The group is made up of both citizens and elected officials, but its efforts will be a tool for local governments to look at. Any plans coming out of Newton County Tomorrow will not be directly sent to a board or council for approval. Newton County tomorrow will not only be a tool for collaboration but also work toward a consensus of communities required to meet state mandates such as: • Comprehensive Plan required of every local government and every regional commission • Plans must be in sync and updated on a regular basis • Lost (Local Option Sales Tax) – cities and county must negotiate distribution formula Talking about tomorrow • SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) – cities and county must agree on projects • Service Delivery Strategy – State law requires every county and city to jointly prepare and implement a plan for delivering essential services to their communities • Penalties – Failure to have an approved Comprehensive Plan or an approved Service Delivery Strategy can cause a government to be declared unqualified for many state administered programs In just its second meeting, the group is still working on which direction it will head down in helping to plan the future of Newton County. “We know growth and change is going to come,” said Covington-Newton County Chamber of Commerce President Ralph Staffins. “We have to be sure it is the growth and change that we want.”