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Perry cancels consultant, taps Middle Georgia Regional Commission to finish comprehensive plan
Summary
Perry council voted to cancel its contract with consultant TSW and to request technical assistance from the Middle Georgia Regional Commission, with the commission outlining a timeline to post a draft for public comment by late October and submit to the state by mid-December to meet a Feb. 28, 2027 certification target.
Perry City Council voted unanimously July 21 to end its contract with consultant TSW and to request technical assistance from the Middle Georgia Regional Commission to complete the city’s comprehensive plan.
Assistant City Manager Mitchell Worthington told council the administration recommended canceling the current consultant because of operational issues and asked council to authorize the regional commission to help complete the plan. Laura Mathis, Executive Director of the Middle Georgia Regional Commission, described the commission’s role: facilitating stakeholder and steering-committee meetings, analyzing data and drafting plan elements, and guiding the plan through required state review.
Mathis said the commission does not charge local governments for baseline comprehensive planning services and will use survey and engagement materials already gathered by the city rather than start new outreach. "We do not charge our local governments for comprehensive planning services," she said. Mathis outlined a timeline aimed at posting a draft for public comment by the end of October and transmitting the draft to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs by Dec. 18 so the city can receive state review within the regulatory 35-day window and meet a Feb. 28 certification target.
Council members pressed about steering-committee logistics and whether meetings would be virtual or in person; Mathis said the commission prefers in-person work but can accommodate schedules and noted some meetings could include hybrid components if needed. The council voted to cancel the TSW contract and request technical assistance from the regional commission on a motion and second; the motion passed unanimously.
The city will now work with the regional commission to gather outstanding consultant work products, schedule stakeholder and steering meetings in August and September, and move the draft through the required public-comment and state-review steps.
