Progress for development of a comprehensive plan for Greenville took a significant move forward Wednesday when the group's steering committee set dates for two Open House Public Meetings.

The first is scheduled July 26 at the Greenville Butler County Library. The second is tentatively set for early September. Analysis sessions for participants of the 50-member committee will follow the public meetings.

&#8220Our intent as a city,” Greenville Mayor Dexter McLendon said, &#8220is to have a plan in place that will address the next 5, 10 or even 15 years. We're moving forward on that idea and we're now to the point where citizen input becomes important.

&#8220This plan will belong to the city and its people. Greenville is growing and by working together, we can make certain decisions are in the best interests of us all and in the best interests of our entire area.”

The framework for informative, idea-seeking four-hour meetings is being established. Topics discussed in 16 committee meetings will be divided into 12 areas of concentration. Members of the steering committee, knowledgeable about those specific areas, will moderate the meetings, record responses and reaction, suggestions and recommendations and report back to the overall steering group.

Subject matter, developed since the initial meeting Aug. 16, 2006, will include gateways, corridor improvement, rural residential-agricultural, neighborhood residential. Neighborhood conservation, downtown core, commercial, institutional-commercial, institutional, industrial, recreational and infrastructural issues.

Meeting participants will be allowed to visit more than one topical area.

That citizen data, strategic in nature with no land use implications, will be reviewed with necessary adjustments made to the plan that is far from finished.

&#8220It will be exciting to learn what Greenville has to offer,” Tracy Delaney, a professional planner working under contract with the South Central Alabama Development Commission of Montgomery and facilitator for the local plan, said. &#8220It is obvious there is a wealth of opportunity here. We look forward to learning even more about the community from the people who live and who work here.”

Delaney has been involved in similar planning efforts in 35 Alabama communities, including Prattville, Wetumpka, Shorter, Notasulga, Tallassee and Hayneville.

Members of the steering committee are John Adams, Eddie Anderson, Sue Arnold, Jeddo Bell, David Brantley, Annie Glenn Branum, Richard Branum, Tom Braxton, Velma Briggs, Wayne Brooks, Malloy Chandler, Ed Darling, Jim Dunklin, Gregg Fuller, Judy Gettys, Linda Hamilton, Magoo Hamilton, Gene Hardin, Jai Hill;

Joseph Hobbs, Nancy Idland, Jim Krudop, Bill Lewis, Fred Lindstrom, Mike Looney, Milton Luckie, Earl Martin, Dexter McLendon, Jerry McCullough, Burke McFerrin, Ricky McLaney, Scott McNaughton, Jesse McWilliams, Brenda Moody, Kathy Murphy, Charles Newton, Connie Nicholas, Joby Norman; James Peavy, Amanda Phillips, Calvin Poole, Bryan Reynolds, Sam Roberts, Leander Robinson, Tommy Ryan, Carl Sellers, Aubrey Sanders, Bill Simms, Allen Stephenson, Jean Thompson, Francine Wasden and Joseph West.