A key aspect of Plan engagement during Phase 2 included working with elected and appointed officials’. Having Charlotte’s City Council and Planning Commission involved in the process means the Plan can benefit from their unique perspectives and also helps to ensure their ownership of the Plan. During this phase of engagement the elected and appointed officials’ reviewed the results of previous engagement, particularly for the Growing Better Places game, and the alternative Growth Scenarios.
Members of Charlotte’s City Council met for a work session on October 7th. This meeting sought to update Council on the development of the Growth Scenarios, including the community input that informed them, and receive preliminary input on this progress. Key highlights from the session include:

Interest in seeing more of the data and feedback received from the community, including where participation occurred, raw data from the game, and the diversity of the participants
Need to be clear about the “Place Types” and ensure people understand the development implications of each
Want more information and investigation of the fiscal and development impacts of the Preferred Scenario

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commissioners engaged in a work session during the October 7th Planning Commission meeting. This session included a presentation of past engagement, including the Growing Better Places game, and the initial Growth Scenarios, with the opportunity for commissioners to comment. They also provided input on how best to present this information to the community Major takeaways from the meeting include:

• Need to ensure that the engagement is statistically representative of the community and equitable
• Need to communicate clearly to the public the significance of the game results and how they are being used
• Make sure people know they aren’t picking one Scenario, but rather weighing in on the trade-offs associated with each
• Ensure data is presented in an easy-to-understand way