Nanaimo city councillors created a framework to signal their priorities and help guide their decision-making over the remainder of their term.
City council, at a meeting June 5, voted 7-1 to endorse a 2023-26 strategic framework.
It has been past practice for city councils to set strategic plans in the months after taking office, but considering that the Nanaimo Reimagined city plan was adopted just last summer and council is working on an associated action plan, councillors felt a strategic plan wasn’t necessary.
“It was clear to council that rather than developing another plan, what we needed was a framework that supports the council’s priorities and this was the most appropriate approach,” said Mayor Leonard Krog.
Councillors participated in a series of workshops led by planner Allison Habkirk, discussing priorities and other items of importance, and came up with a framework representing the key themes from those discussions, the mayor said.
The strategic plan consists of six focus areas: implementing the city plan; addressing social, health and public safety challenges; maintaining and growing services; advancing capital projects; communicating with community members; and striving for governance and corporate excellence.
The Nanaimo Reimagined city plan includes goals related to the environment; transportation and accessibility; well-being and liveability; reconciliation, diversity and inclusion; and economic prosperity.
The capital projects specifically identified in the strategic framework document include developing the waterfront walkway, planning and developing 1 Port Drive, developing a south-end community centre, planning a new RCMP detachment building, and reconstructing the public works yard. The framework document also mentions “significant downtown capital investments” and “small but big-impact” capital improvements around the city.
“We recognize there are a number of these capital projects both large and small that will contribute to the quality of life and services needed across the city,” Krog said. “We are committed to working to plan and resource those future key capital projects, which may well and in all likelihood will involve public participation by way of referenda.”
The only council member to vote against the strategic framework was Coun. Tyler Brown, who said it didn’t map out any direction well.
“I would have preferred a document that clearly articulated items to focus on and how they would be realized,” he said.
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