With the clock ticking as we approach the upcoming fall election, council got to work to set its strategic priorities for these last few months.
We are determined to complete many of the items we’ve put in motion during this term so that a new council will start with a fairly clean plate.
Politicians’ terms may end, but the work of community is an ongoing process that requires a solid foundation to complete.
With that in mind, it’s not surprising that over 36 actions were identified! An ambitious list of over half of these items were set in order of precedence with the others tagged for the future.
The current priorities can be categorized into four main focus areas: financial; community; internal; and human resources.
The community priorities include the community wildfire protection plan, the implementation of recommendations from the Housing Strategy, the Downtown Waterfront Master Plan, the Heritage Register and the Community Energy and Climate Change plan.
To say these are large, ambitious plans may be a bit of an understatement, but you will be pleased to know that large pieces of this work have been ongoing over the last few years.
The time invested into community consultation and planning has paid off in clear actions for completion and will set the stage for the future.
Internally, we continue to get our own house in order. For example, the city owns a number of facilities that serve the community well. It is our intention to develop a facilities maintenance plan that will see these assets maintained and functioning well into the future.
The plan will also include assessments on function and usage. It has been challenging to develop and implement new bylaws while reviewing and updating old ones.
This year council approved extra funding in the budget to facilitate this priority. Streamlining and updating the bylaws will grease the wheels and move issues forward in a more efficient way.
Once again, time invested now, will pay off in greater productivity. Financially, we will review water and sewer rates to recommend a more equitable fee structure while at the same time ensuring there is enough revenue to support and replace our aging system.
The people who work for the city are our most important resource. Departments have been restructured and new positions created as we prepare for the future demands of the corporation. We’re committed to supporting and training our employees and have developed and implemented performance plans.
You will see new faces as our older members retire and new employees come aboard. Staffing levels are being assessed and will be adjusted to adapt to the changing workplace.
The last few years have been a time of renewing, restructuring and planning for the future. The city continues to upgrade its aging infrastructure; we’ve reallocated resources to better adapt to a changing workplace and we have adopted large visionary plans like the Path to 2040.
This groundwork is essential as we prepare for modest growth predictions and continued community vitality. It will also assist in providing a roadmap for future councils.
Have a great, relaxing summer everyone, it’s going to be a busy fall.
Deb Kozak shares column space in the Star Wednesdays with her fellow city councillors.