Oconee County redesignated a "Plan First" community by Georgia DCA, wins access to loans and grant advantages

A planning outreach coordinator for the Georgia Department of Community Affairs told the Oconee County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 25 that the county has been redesignated a Plan First community for a three-year term, marking it as a multi-time designee and opening new program and financing opportunities.

The coordinator said the designation recognizes ‘‘the hard work of successful comprehensive plan implementation’’ and highlighted Oconee County’s public-engagement metrics — 12 public open houses, focus groups and more than 1,400 responses to an online survey — as factors in the evaluation. ‘‘This Plan First designation will last for 3 years, and it recognizes the hard work of successful comprehensive plan implementation and acknowledges your community’s commitment to identifying opportunities and setting goals to move Oconee County forward,’’ the coordinator said.

Why it matters: Plan First communities may access certain state programs and financial incentives, the coordinator said, including reduced interest-rate windows on Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) water and sewer loans (a half-percentage point reduction was cited) and a 1 percentage-point interest-rate reduction on some economic-development loans administered through DCA. Plan First status also allows annual eligibility to apply for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) rather than every other year.

The presentation outlined review procedures and peer evaluations used by DCA and partner agencies (including the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, GEFA and the Georgia Department of Transportation). The coordinator cited specific plan elements and projects — broadband expansion, the county’s administration building, and a major roundabout project tied to the comprehensive plan — as examples of implementation that strengthened Oconee’s application.

The county will receive a certificate and statewide recognition and an invitation to Planning Day at the state capital in January, the coordinator said.

The board accepted the presentation; no formal vote on county actions was recorded during the presentation.

Next steps: County staff can pursue the financing and program opportunities available to Plan First communities and will receive the certificate and associated notices from DCA.