For the last several weeks, Lafayette County officials have been working on gathering information to update the county’s comprehensive plan for the future. Now they are seeking input from the public and also updating residents on progress that is being made.

Beginning this evening, a series of town hall meetings will be held in several locations to give county residents an opportunity to hear the latest in progress on the plan, as well as voice their opinion, make suggestions or comments.

The first town hall meeting will be held tonight at 6 in the Yocona Community Center. On Monday, another public meeting will be held at the Philadelphia Community Center beginning at 6 p.m. and the Oxford Conference Center will be the site of another meeting on June 9 at 6 p.m. A meeting at an undetermined location in Taylor will be held July 7 at 6 p.m. Another meeting will be held at the College Hill Community Center at an undetermined date.

Since March, two committees – a steering/land use committee and a transportation/infrastructure committee – have been meeting regularly with the planning team and Mike Slaughter, who was hired by the county to develop an updated comprehensive plan. The committees have been gathering information on economic development, growth expectations in the county, Oxford and the University of Mississippi, as well as affordable housing and transportation infrastructure.

Supervisor Kevin Frye said this is an opportunity for residents to share their thoughts and ideas about the future of their community with the planning team.

“As I’ve said before, I believe a successful planning process begins with meaningful input from the community,” Frye said. “The process of updating the county’s comprehensive plan is entering a new and critically important stage. This data will be the foundation for a plan that establishes policy goals for the future of our community.”