County to develop ARC-funded economic development strategic plan, staff to collect stakeholder input

County staff described a multi-stage approach to the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant: develop an economic development strategic plan (no zoning component), hold one-on-one stakeholder interviews to collect high-quality input and then use the plan to identify infrastructure projects and write follow-on grants. "We're required to have a strategic plan to get ARC money, right?" the presenter asked during the briefing to emphasize statutory grant conditions and the need for public feedback.