Cobb County board hears strategic plan update, potential September adoption

Sabrina Wright, Cobb County economic development director, and consultants from KB Advisory Group presented an updated five-year Economic Development Strategic Plan and asked the board to review it before formal adoption.

Jeff Koski of KB Advisory Group told commissioners the plan reflects extensive feedback from the board and county partners and that consultants had worked with steering committees and stakeholders to refine the draft. "Like, your fingerprints are all over this," Koski said, describing the plan as the product of repeated review and added meetings to increase specificity.

Gabby, a KB Advisory co-project manager, summarized the timeline and public-engagement steps and said the consultants are hopeful the board could consider the plan for adoption in September if commissioners are satisfied. The presentation emphasized five strategic goals—business attraction and recruitment, catalytic redevelopment, entrepreneurship and small-business support, economic mobility and workforce development, and partner coordination—each linked to an implementation matrix assigning partner entities and timelines.

The plan documents public input from resident and business surveys, five county open houses, multiple focus groups and steering-committee meetings; Gabby said the public-input sections include maps of respondent locations and highlighted recurring themes. Implementation items in the matrix identify partner entities for each task to promote accountability and progress-tracking over the five-year period.

The presentation also acknowledged potential obstacles to implementation and included both task-based and outcome-oriented metrics to assess progress. The consultants and county staff invited commissioners to ask further questions before the plan proceeds to a formal agenda item for consideration. Next procedural step: the plan is expected to be placed on an agenda for possible adoption in September if the board moves forward.