What policies would you favor with respect to land use or conservation? Are you ready to share your ideas and concerns to contribute to the Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments (RiverCOG) planning process? If so, then now is your chance. The RiverCOG in July initiated a year-long process that, with public input, will yield the 15-town region’s first-ever regional Plan of Conservation and Development.

At least every 10 years, each regional council of government is required by state law to make a plan of conservation and development. The plan is to be based on “studies of physical, social, economic, and governmental conditions and trends and shall be designed to promote with the greatest efficiency and economy the coordinated development of its area of operation and the general welfare and prosperity of its people,” according to CGS Section 8-35a. The final plan also must include recommendations on the topics of land use, housing, transportation infrastructure, recreational areas, schools, public utilities, agriculture, and conservation.

This summer, RiverCOG began its once-a-decade process to develop a new regional plan to guide public actions over the next decade and beyond, and RiverCOG is seeking input from residents, public officials, and businesses within its 15-town service area.

RiverCOG’s first workshop to seek public input to the regional plan is on Thursday, Aug. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Westbrook Town Hall, 866 Boston Post Road, Westbrook.

“The regional plan is a vision document that will set goals and priorities for the region [and will include] recommendations about how we address the region’s threats and build on its strengths. The idea is for it to be a guide for the towns as they make their decisions about how they develop and conserve,” said RiverCOG Executive Director Sam Gold.

Proposed projects of regional interest that are consistent with a regional plan of conservation and development have a greater chance of securing federal and state funding support than those that are not, according to Gold.

“It’s a big step. The plan, the first for this region, covers a wide-range of topics, from housing and utilities to the economy and the environment. The public has a unique opportunity to get in on the ground level of plan development and help shape it. The region is quite diverse, and we’re interested in hearing from all the communities and people’s different perspectives. We’re listening,” said Gold.

During the month of July, RiverCOG has held a number of “pop-up” events, setting up a table at public venues like the Old Saybrook Farmer’s Market and the Old Lyme Midsummer Festival to explain the process and collect ideas from the public. Other Pop-Up events are planned in August, such as one on Sunday, Aug. 6 at the Westbrook Town Beach from noon to 2 p.m.

“The lens for our plan is resiliency. We want our region to be resilient in the face of change and make sure our communities are prepared for the threats we are facing,” said Gold. “Does the housing supply meet the housing need? Are there transportation options to get workers to where the jobs are?”

These are the types of questions that the planning process will raise and for which the RiverCOG’s Regional Planning Committee, chaired by Frank De Felice of Durham, hopes to develop answers based on public input. The Planning Committee for the project includes representatives of each of the COG’s town members.

Starting in August, RiverCOG will post a public survey online for members of the public to add their input to the process in that way. Participants will be asked to answer questions on these topics: Resiliency of our Communities, Economy, Transportation, Natural Environment, Great Places, Housing, Public Utilities, and Agriculture. A dedicated web page has been set up to allow the public to follow the progress of the regional plan process at www.rivercogregionalplan.org. Documents developed as part of the process will also be posted there when available.

The process targets the fall of 2017 as the time when input to inform the regional plan will be collected. In January 2018, the RiverCOG Planning Committee will hold a public meeting to report on the results of the outreach effort as of that date. The target completion date to have a draft regional plan ready for review is June 2018.

The first public RiverCOG Plan of Conservation and Development workshop is planned for Thursday, Aug, 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Westbrook Town Hall. The second one will be on Saturday, Sept. 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Wesleyan University’s Daniel Family Commons Usdan University Center, 3rd floor, 45 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown.