County Commission Chairman Mike Berg was seated next to School Superintendent Damon Gibbs last week at a chamber of commerce event when he mentioned two new housing developments that could bring around 600 homes to Dawson County.

"The price point is $190-$250 and that means younger families and kids," Berg said. "There needs to be a process so we all know where development is coming and know how soon it's getting here."

The commissioner plans to ask his board to set aside funds in the county's 2016 budget that will be used to facilitate that process with a goal to develop a vision of "what we as a county want to see as the future" for Dawson County.

"I've talked about this with different groups for the last couple of years," he said. "We've needed to do it for a while. I just think it's a smart move. Everybody I've talked to thinks it's a good idea."

Berg said the overall goal is to have a vision plan that the community as a whole can get behind.

"That as we plan forward, one that helps the community and improves who we are," he said. "Things like a fairgrounds and beautification projects. These are big issue items. Certainly working together it's easier to facilitate what gets done."

He hopes to coordinate and hold the visioning meeting in early 2016.

"We had a similar meeting several years ago at Amicalola Falls. It had some county departments, the mayor and some city folks that came," Berg said. "I envision this where we start out with a plan of what are the top five things each group wants to try to achieve in the next 10 years.

"Then we'd spend a day with a facilitator talking through those. So that at the end of the day, you come up with a to-do list of this is where we are heading."

Berg said the community would also be invited to attend the visioning meeting.

"The community ought to be able to see what we're thinking," he said. "Bringing everyone together, facilitating, allowing the public to come in and listen as we move through...it's those things that affect us all and how we manage them and what we want to see for the future."