The Planning and Development Department provides a wide variety of technical assistance to member local governments.
Technical assistance is provided to member local governments on planning, ordinance, and other administrative efforts.
Additionally, High Country COG has worked on various regional planning efforts. These include:
The High Country Council of Governments provides specialized Geographic Information System (GIS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) services throughout its seven county region. Our GIS division is a central resource of geographic information for the High Country Region. We maintain an extensive repository of local, regional and statewide datasets.
The HCCOG maintains the resources and professional staff to meet GIS/GNSS needs for internal departmental and local government services including, but not limited to, the following:
HCCOG maintains ESRI and Trimble software.
Our GIS Planner also serves as the North Carolina State Data Center Lead Regional Organization (LRO) Affiliate Contact. Services of the Affiliate Contact include assisting member local governments and other private and public agencies with US Census data and product acquisition, technical assistance to data users, and providing feedback to the Office of State Budget and Management Data Services Unit.
For more information please contact Jessica Welborn, GISP, GIS Planner at jwelborn@hccog.org.
High Country COG provides a variety of specialized Geographic Information System (GIS) services for internal planning efforts, member local governments, and other public and private agencies. Explore featured project web applications and map products on our GIS Hub Site.
Visit our GIS Hub Site to view some of our project web applications and map products.
The High Country Council of Governments created this web application to enable users to explore data layers showing critical facilities, transportation infrastructure, hazards, and measures of vulnerability and resiliency across the High Country’s populations.
RPO RTAC Membership:
RPO RTCC Membership:
The High Country Council of Governments serves as the lead planning agency for the High Country Rural Planning Organization (RPO). The RPO has been providing continuing, cooperative and comprehensive transportation planning for the seven county region since being chartered in February of 2002. The RPO is responsible for:
The RPO develops a Priority Needs List of projects every two years to submit to the NCDOT for consideration. We develop and prioritize suggestions for transportation related projects for the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
The RPO works in developing comprehensive local and regional multimodal transportation plans.
The RPO provides transportation related information to local governments and other interested parties. The RPO staff attends project development meetings on behalf of the RPO members and provides NCDOT with local input.
The RPO provides a forum for public participation in the rural transportation planning process. A public hearing is held prior to the adoption of the Priority Needs List, facilitates public workshops during the planning process, and solicits public comments in the development of transportation plans through press releases and surveys. All RPO meetings are advertised and open to the public.
The State of North Carolina receives Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding each year from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist citizens with low- and moderate-income. The NC Department of Commerce administers Economic Development and Community Housing Programs, and the NC Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ) oversees the Infrastructure Program.
HCCOG planning staff have extensive experience working with CDBG grants. HCCOG CDBG services include, but are not limited to:
The High Country Council of Governments serves local government members and stakeholders with professional services by effectively maximizing resources to meet ever-changing needs that improve the quality of life and economic prosperity of the High Country.
468 New Market Blvd
Boone NC, 28607
(828) 265-5434
