Orange County NC Website
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STRATEGIC GROWTH AND RESOURCE CONSERVATION PROGRAM <br />Final (8.7.2009) <br />H. SGRC Education and Marketing Plan <br />The County of Orange wants its citizens and private development community to <br />participate to have the maximum opportunity to participate in the SGRC <br />Program. Since this Program is relatively new not only to Orange County but to <br />North Carolina, there is a need to ensure that the appropriate level of <br />education and awareness is created in the pool of potential participants. The <br />following are recommended actions that can be undertaken to accomplish <br />these objectives. <br />Focus Groups. Focus groups are readily defined as the convening of between 5 <br />and 15 people that have similar backgrounds or interests relative to the given <br />topic. The meeting duration is typically between two and four hours, and is <br />facilitated by a staff person. The staff will also need to identify participants and <br />introduce them to the topic in advance of the meeting. The meeting space is <br />usually small with a center table, and handouts are kept to a minimal number of <br />words. Issues are identified during the focus group meeting, and suggestions by <br />staff are responded to by the participant. Two focus groups are recommended: <br />one for potential conservation area participants and one for designated growth <br />area participants. Ideally, these focus groups should convene annually or once <br />every two years to help update the SGRC Program and gain an awareness of <br />the perception that the Program has in the minds of its participants and <br />potential participants. <br />Website. Orange County maintains its own website, a portion of which has been <br />devoted to the SGRC Program. Keeping this portion of the website active is <br />important to the users of the Program, and should be expanded over time to <br />include tracking information as well as any updates to the program or <br />administrative designs. Finally, the lengthy URL for the website could be <br />augmented with an easier -to- remember "mirror" URL address (e.g., <br />"OrangeTDR.org ") that forwards the user directly to the correct location of the <br />website files (www.co.oranae.nc.us /planning /TDR files). <br />Other Mechanisms. Should an additional awareness of the SGRC Program be <br />desired, then the publication of a direct mailer postcard, open house, or public <br />television announcement may be considered. <br />ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA M70 <br />