After months of wrangling over the lack of specifics in a countywide joint planning proposal, West Point City Council is set to approve a resolution supporting joint planning in its conceptual form.

When council holds its regular meeting July 12, it will vote on the resolution presented at a work session Thursday night, which says it wants to “fully collaborate” with Troup County commissioners, LaGrange and Hogansville city councils, and the Troup County school board.

“We want to take a leadership role in this and see how it goes,” said Mayor Drew Ferguson IV.

The resolution will allow continuing negotiations with the county and a say in what final form the joint plan commission will take. It also allows West Point City Manager Ed Moon to continue talks on the plan with Troup County Manager Mike Dobbs and the other city managers.

The resolution doesn’t commit the city to any financial support, one of the sticking points of previous talks.

Council has spent much of the summer debating whether to join the plan, which some feared would mean county leaders micromanaging planning and zoning decisions specific to the city.

Others say a joint plan with Troup County would tie the city’s hands when it comes to Harris County. West Point’s borders cross into Harris County, and much of any future growth may see is predicted to occur in Harris County.

Initial drafts of the county’s joint plan resolution were considered too broad by West Point city staff, council and the city’s planning board to be too broad.

Jennifer Shrader may be reached at jshrader@lagrangenews.com or at (706) 884-7311, Ext. 236.