On October 20 The Current reported that Council had hired MDB Insight for $8900 to coordinate a session to review its strategic plan The Path Forward on November 21 when the consultant would spend a half day with staff and members of Council, and then facilitate a two-hour evening meeting in Barry’s Bay to hear from community members. Mayor Kim Love opened the public meeting by emphasizing the importance of strategic planning. She said staff and council had reviewed the 2015-19 strategic plan The Path Forward, identified what has been achieved over the past five years, what remains outstanding and what needs to be prioritized. She said public input into the process is critical and thanked the approximately forty people present for their participation. Note: Please scroll down for a link to the online survey to make your views known.
Then it was time to hear from the facilitators Paul Blais, Executive Vice-President (at left) and Evelyn Paul, Consultant, of MDB Insights, the same consultants who developed the earlier plan. In his introduction Blais reminded the audience of the vision statement and mission statement in the existing plan. He said he hoped the workshop would produce candid and honest discussion. Using the Economic Development Strategic Plan of Central Okanagan as an example, he explained that the outcome of this session would be much shorter “a two-pager, something the public can visualize quickly and see what the priorities are.”
He started the discussion by asking people to identify some positive things that occurred in Madawaska Valley over the last few years. Answers ranged from the Greening of Main Street to praise for resident Garnett Foster who picks up litter, compliments for helpful municipal staff and the Communities in Bloom volunteers. Even online tax billing received kudos. Then Blais directed participants’ attention to the four main priorities in The Path Forward and the Action Plan it contains. He asked them to form groups in those four categories to work through the actions from the 2015 plan indicating which are still relevant. He invited them to also add any amendments or new priorities under the four headings:
- Open and transparent government
- Progressive and growing economy
- Healthy lifestyles
- Efficient and effective Township services
After working for about 40 minutes in their groups, Blais asked participants to report on their discussion while his colleague Evelyn Paul (inset left) recorded the comments.
Healthy lifestyles
First up was the Healthy Lifestyles group. After discussing each action item specifically, they said they felt that a community centre is an infrastructure priority. They suggested it include a swimming pool, fitness centre with indoor walking, expanded library facilities and lots of meeting room space. Environmental issues were raised with the suggestion that the township consider the example of North Frontenac. They suggested an over-arching plan for healthy lifestyles and beautification that encompasses accessibility and opportunities for active transport. Members of the audience referred to examples of combined library and community centres elsewhere, and the need for this municipality to be an environmental leader.
Efficient and effective township services
Next came the six brave souls who volunteered to consider efficient and effective township services. They explained that they did not have sufficient information to comment on many of the action items. They suggested efficiencies could be achieved if municipal departments did not work in silos, requirements for environmental assessment should be applied universally and not just for developers. They also asked whether planning strategy could include heritage buildings. An audience member suggested a town plan. When the group spokeperson used stern words saying the municipal website is “not user-friendly and needs updating in the worst possible way; it is an existing problem that needs to be addressed” someone piped up “I second that.” The group’s final comments related to improving accessibility and signage at municipal buildings.
Progressive and growing economy
This group agreed that most of the action items in the 2015 plan were still relevant and they suggested some wording changes. One item they disagreed with is the need for one storefront for all economic development and business organizations, saying this is not a priority and this function should be part of the municipal office. They agreed that the Economic Development Strategy required an update and further that it “needs an annual report card to the people.” When they discussed the action item about collaboration, an audience member pointed out that while the visitor centre students worked hard the Ottawa Valley Tourism Association trained them about the whole region not specifically about Madawaska Valley, to which another person responded, “That was what was good about having a fulltime staff person running the facility.”
One resident suggested they should be told what came out of Council’s brainstorming session earlier that day and asked how they hope to accomplish economic development and how much budget they will put towards it, saying “you’ve got to have somebody to get out there and bring new people in…. It’s fine to say we’re going to do this and do that, but who’s going to do it? As it is I think volunteers are doing much more than their share now as far as I can see. So is everybody going to be a volunteer or do we have to put our money where our mouth is and get out there and entice people to come.” Another suggestion from the group was a gap analysis of infrastructure services and businesses with a view to attracting businesses and professionals, the final list of recommendations to be completed by January 2021. Other comments were different and better promotion of the area, particularly online marketing. The group ended their report with some new economic development action items: preserve and expand the business area instead of allowing conversion of former business premises to dwellings, promote the waterfront better, and they prompted applause with the suggestion to develop a community centre with swimming pool, curling club, new library, meeting space for community groups.
At this point Frances Mawson, Chair of the Madawaska Valley Public Library, spoke: “We would very much like to fit into the municipal strategic plan; in fact, we think it’s essential. A thriving library is part of the infrastructure that attracts people to the community.” She acknowledged members of council (all of whom were present) and said, “Obviously we need to do our growing with the support and approval of the community and so this is our request to the municipality: Please be aware that we wish to make substantial changes and that these would be most productive and beneficial to the community if we could do this in partnership…. So our request to the municipality is to keep your eyes and ears open to any opportunities where we can share work space with any viable organization, be it child-focused, recreationally-focused, organizationally-centred, if it involves skidoos, genealogy, housing, weaving, whatever, we would like to talk to them. The savings from roof to shared services can be immense and the benefits to the community equally impressive.”
Source: The Path Forward
As Blais thanked the residents for their participation, one audience member called out, “Where is Open Government?” Blais replied to general laughter as no one had volunteered for that, “The group on Open Government were dressed like chairs. There wasn’t anybody willing to step into that.” Blais responded to a further question seeking results of the staff/council meeting: “one of the great things about the experience today for me was to hear from staff and council about how much has been achieved and I encourage them to communicate that as part of the release of the next Action Plan. To show what has been done since 2015 and that will help the public understand how the transition to this 2019 action plan sounds.” This prompted reassurances from CAO Suzanne Klatt and Mayor Love, who said that instead of trying to influence residents, they were were seeking fresh, new views. Love pointed out that members of council did not participate or sit among the working groups this evening.
In response to comments from a representative of a lake association on the unsuitability of a “Thursday evening in November” for attracting input from seasonal residents, Blais pointed out the survey will be online on the municipal website and that hard copies will available at the municipal office, library and elsewhere in the community for those without internet service. Click HERE to go directly to the online survey.
Image industryweek.com
I tried to do the Online Survey. The program ‘crashed’ – not able to complete and submit.
Useless!