GCaMP (Gaston County area Municipal Planners)
The idea behind GCaMP (Gaston County and Municipal Planners) actually stems from the County’s Comprehensive Plan adopted in November, 2002. As a recommendation of the Plan, the 3 C’s process, which is communication, cooperation, and coordination is one strategy the Board of Commission felt important for all the local governmental units to consider when working together pertaining to growth and land use matters especially at adjoining jurisdictional boundaries. From this strategy, County Planning Staff pushed the idea and facilitated a meeting with other municipal planners to move forward with the GCaMP Concept as a forum at a staff level. After consideration of several names amongst all planners, GCaMP became the selected group name.
The group has been meeting since 2003, and meets three to five times a year to discuss emerging land use topics at the local, regional and national level. Attendance averages 15 to 20 attendees as GCaMP is comprised of 15 jurisdictions represented by planners, as well as officials from the school system, health department, and public safety. The group seeks and is open to all disciplines to join GCaMP as land use matters affect everyone in the community regardless of the discipline.
Meetings have been conducted around the County including the county and municipal offices as topics/forums have included Mixed Use Development, Roads and Transportation, Census, Big Box Development, development implications at the adjoining border of Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties, Hazard Mitigation, etc.
The goal of GCaMP is to serve as a support system, share practices, share information on changes in their communities and be an avenue for networking. Although no binding decisions are being made at these meetings, GCaMP Members can take information learned from a meeting and share it with their elected officials. This in turn may help the official make a more informed decision.
G-CaMP Meeting Photos November 12, 2010
G-CaMP Meeting Photos March 27, 2009