City council approved the 2015 version of its strategic plan Monday, but not without some concerns over the new document.
The new document changes a lot of the language from the previous versions.
In the 2014 plan, council identified strategic outcomes, goals and priorities. In the 2015 document, they “validated” them.
The wording around the various strategies is also much broader – for example, in the 2014 version they specifically said they wanted to address library and other civic space needs.
In the new version, they are instead to “ensure that the provision of civic facilities, parks and open spaces is responsive to demographic, cultural, leisure and protective services trends.”
The plan encompasses everything from the city’s economic hopes, like creating a vibrant downtown, to the social side of things, like fostering a sense of community.
While council voted unanimously to amend its policy to incorporate the recently revised version, Couns. Cathy Heron and Sheena Hughes both raised concerns that they didn’t feel ownership of the plan.
“I feel like it wasn’t my plan. And it should be council’s plan. The words you used, that council validated the plan … council shouldn’t validate a staff plan,” Heron said. “I don’t feel like I own it.”
Heron said the system for designing the plan was changed compared to how it was handled in years past. Council had a two-day session to discuss their strategic plan in January, which is typical – but councillors made it clear that city staff had a draft ready for the meeting for their review.
“The entire thing was pre-written,” said Coun. Sheena Hughes. “Ultimately I felt like this was written and created by administration.”
The strategic plan should be in council’s realm, they both said.
“It’s just a feeling I have deep in my soul that it’s somehow been removed from council’s responsibility,” Heron said.
Not every councillor took issue with the staff providing a draft, with Coun. Tim Osborne saying he thought the approach of giving council something to respond to made sense.
Coun. Cam MacKay said he’d lobby to try and change the directions he disagrees with, but said “overall it’s a reasonable document.”
Coun. Wes Brodhead said with directions from the plan, there should be no real surprises when it comes to budget time.
