TIFTON — The city is ready to get moving on its new comprehensive plan, thanks to some assistance from the Southern Georgia Regional Commission.

At a recent Tifton City Council meeting, James Horton, SGRC planner, said Tifton is all set to start on its updated comprehensive plan, and the SGRC would provide ample assistance in its construction.

Comprehensive plans must be updated every five years, with the previous plan for Tifton having been adopted in 2018. The new plan is slated to go into effect June 2023, the point when the first will expire, allowing it to supersede the 2018 plan.

Horton said the updated comprehensive plan will exclusively focus on Tifton, unlike previous versions that included other municipalities.

To properly identify the needs of the city and its residents, Horton said the formation of the comprehensive plan will require a multiple month process, with a workshop being held at least once a month until December.

At those meetings, Tifton residents, members of local government and other stakeholders can discuss their needs and desires for projects to be added to the plan, essentially allowing the city to decide its path for the next five years.

However, Horton informed council that these meetings would be held in the morning, severely restricting the availability to many people. Mayor Julie Smith asked Horton if it would be possible to hold additional meetings in the evening to allow more residents to attend, and he agreed to discuss with SGRC about authorizing such an extension.

The workshops to discuss the 2023 comprehensive plan are scheduled for Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 8 and Dec. 13. Crystal Gaillard, community development director, assured council she would get to work on developing a list of stakeholders.