Two regional boards have approved a bi-state interlocal agreement establishing the guidelines and funding for a growth-visioning process called CONNECT.
Centralina Council of Governments and Catawba Regional Council of Governments agreed to spend $100,000 a year for the next two years to fund the project goals, which covers issues such as air quality, water resources, transportation and land planning.

“It is the first time there has been a written commitment to work on regional visioning,” said Centralina Council of Governments spokeswoman Carol Lewis.
Representatives from Mooresville, Troutman, Iredell County and Statesville attended a series of meetings in January to discuss what the project’s goals should be.

Iredell County Commissioner Ken Robertson, who represents the county on the Centralina Board, said the new study lacked the definitive, jurisdictional-specific initiatives he was hoping for.

“It’s not binding,” he said. “The county commissioners aren’t bound by it.”

Robertson said COG doesn’t have the authority to make a municipal body follow the guidelines set forth by the report.

“The thing that I have always thought we needed to have in this study is specific items that individual entities could take,” he said.

Lewis said COG will now reach out to the governing bodies in various jurisdictions to get resolutions of support.

By June, a regional steering committee will be appointed to guide implementation of CONNECT’s six core values and action agenda.

Lewis said each of the goals outlined in the report will be addressed by regional cabinets organized to work on those issues.

“The answers will be much more powerful as a group than they will as separate jurisdictions,” Lewis said. “This is a great opportunity for us to make an impact.”

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