A key aspect of Plan engagement includes working with elected and appointed officials. Including Charlotte’s City Council and Planning Commission 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 received an overview of the Plan and work-to-date and provided their comments.

Members of Charlotte’s City Council met for a “Power Hour” work session on March 4th. This meeting sought to update Council on the progress of the Plan and receive preliminary input. Key highlights from the session include:

• Desire for incremental updates that can be used in the interim before the entire plan is adopted and to align policy with regulatory tools

• Keep equity in mind – those that aren’t typically included in our processes and those that don’t typically benefit from growth (or are negatively impacted by growth)

• Want further understanding of how County services, policies, and investments will be impacted by the Plan City of Charlotte Planning Commissioners engaged in a work session during the March 4th Planning Commission meeting. This session included a presentation of current directions and work to date for the Plan, with the opportunity for commissioners to comments on their impressions of progress and potential missing pieces. Major takeaways from the meeting include:

• Making sure the Plan is engaging a diverse population

• Ensuring the Plan is accounting for technology and emerging tech

• Being cognizant of data sources and working with other concurrent efforts to provide consistency and not duplicate effort

• Addressing affordability of basic needs such as gasoline

• Considering access to venture capital to drive innovation

• Making education a priority topic in the Plan discussions