LULA — The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has designated the city of Lula as a PlanFirst Community.
City Manager Dennis Bergin said the designation is a reward for the city's past planning.
"The DCA, which is the arm of Georgia State Government with regards to future planning, has requirements that they place on communities and cities and counties, and obviously they encourage the good, sound planning to lead the way to how that community has an opportunity to grow and present itself," said Bergin.
Bergin said the PlanFirst program started about two years ago to recognize cities that were using sound planning leadership.
"[It] takes communities and gives them the opportunities to go even further and actually get them the opportunity of reward if they were to do a better job of making their planning and their efforts and implementation," said Bergin.
Among the perks, the city and other PlanFirst communities are eligible for the Annual Community Development Block Grant, bonus points on applications for DCA programs as Employment Incentive Program, Downtown Development Revolving Loan Fund and Redevelopment Fund, as well as access to a reduced interest rate on certain Georgia Environmental Finance Authority state loans.
The designation will last from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018.
This photo from the City of Lula website shows redevelopment work in the downtown area.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/11/348191/lula-named-planfirst-community-by-ga-state-officials