Statesboro’s city government, working with the Coastal Regional Commission, will host the second of three “stakeholder” meetings 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10, in the Civic Room of the Honey Bowen Building to continue the update process for the Statesboro Comprehensive Plan.

The first meeting was held Dec. 6, where the Comprehensive Plan Stakeholder Committee was named. Members of the stakeholder group include:

Jennifer Davis – Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce

Alexander Smith – Action Pact

Benjy Thompson – Bulloch County Development Authority

Alan Gross – Business Innovation Group/Georgia Southern

Bishop Larry Jones – Whitesville Full Gospel Baptist Church

Mildred Wilson – Statesboro-Bulloch Land Bank Authority

Dustin Branum – Georgia Department of Transportation

Elena McClendon – Mainstreet Statesboro

Allen Muldrew – Downtown Statesboro Development Authority

Members of the public are invited to attend the Jan. 10 meeting and share their ideas and vision for Statesboro’s future. The tentative agenda includes a public comment session, a follow-up on the city’s goals outlined in the first meeting, and a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis.

The state requires that cities and counties have up-to-date comprehensive plans to maintain Qualified Local Government Status as specified by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, or DCA. This status, in turn, is required to participate in grant funding opportunities such as Community Development Block Grants and Community Home Improvement Grants, as well as financing through the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority.

Plans generally attempt to look 20 years into the future but must be updated every five years. The Statesboro Comprehensive Plan is intended to guide the city’s growth, development, investments, policies and programs, according to a description of the previous plan on the city’s website.

The third and final meeting for the Comprehensive Plan update will be held 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13 at Statesboro First United Methodist Church, 101 South Main Street.