WILLIAMSBURG — Work on the town’s first comprehensive plan is set to continue in the new year with a series of group meetings focused on key elements of the goal-setting document.

After a July survey that drew a respectable 20% response and a kickoff meeting Nov. 30 attended by more than 60 people, planners hope to continue the momentum with a more detailed discussion of the plan’s elements.

“We appreciate (the community’s) engagement; that’s the whole point,” Planning Board Chairman Steve Smith said. “We’re asking them to continue for a couple of months to help flesh out the town’s goals.”

The first meeting, set for Thursday, Jan. 11, will focus on cultural and historical resources. Other meetings, to be held at two-week intervals, will examine the following topics:

■ Transportation, town services and facilities.

■ Housing.

■ Economic opportunities.

All will take place at the Anne T. Dunphy School from 6 to 8 p.m.

A meeting to hear senior citizens’ interests will be held at the Council on Aging on Feb. 26, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., and a general community meeting wrap-up session is planned for Saturday, March 23, in the morning.

The survey results will help inform the dialogue at the focus groups, Smith said.

“The housing shortage and sustainability are probably the two hottest topics so far,” he said.

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 41, Section 81D, lays out the components of a master plan, which all towns are expected to have, Smith said. The plan provides a blueprint for guiding development, capital decisions and open-space investments over the next 10 to 20 years.

“It’s a really critical document for shaping the town’s priorities,” Town Administrator Nick Caccamo said.

Regional planning authorities receive state funds to help towns through the process, Smith said, and work to ensure discussions cover the plan’s required elements.

“Pioneer Valley Planning Commission staff are helping us,” he said. “It wouldn’t be possible without them.”

The whole process takes anywhere from nine months to two years, said Ken Comia, land use planner with the PVPC and project manager for Williamsburg’s plan.

The town has the money to complete this stage of the planning process, known as visioning, he said, but the writing and implementation of the plan will require additional funding.

“It makes sense that we have a hand in some of the drafting,” Comia said, “but the town can navigate that however it wishes.”

Money for the visioning stage comes from PVPC, which is contributing $10,000, and the town, which is appropriating $15,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds, Smith said.

Once the plan is adopted, a committee will be set up to implement its recommendations, Comia said.

After assessing the results of the visioning stage, Caccamo said the town will pursue grant opportunities to pay consultants to conduct further outreach, research and data gathering. He estimated that process could cost $100,000.

He noted that Williamsburg has several state Department of Transportation projects lined up over the next few years, and the comprehensive plan will help provide an overview.

“It’s a really promising project,” he said. “It’s a potential turning point for the town.”