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City looks for community input on strategic plan

The City of Salmon Arm is creating its first ever long-term strategic plan.

The City of Salmon Arm is creating its first ever long-term strategic plan.

When complete, the plan will be a guide to help city council and staff more effectively make decisions around infrastructure planning and implementation, prioritize projects and spending, identify revenue sources and consider taxation over the next 10 to 15 years.

“The city has developed and implemented a number of strategies in the past, such as our official community plan” says Mayor Nancy Cooper.

“The advantage we see in creating an over-arching strategic plan is that it will provide greater alignment and efficiencies for all planning across city operations.”

While direction for the plan will primarily come from city council and administration, community members and organizations will be asked to participate at key times in the planning process.

The strategic plan is unfolding through a six-step process:

• The city will undertake background research and identify key factors that will shape the city and its local government.

• Municipal leaders, including city council and staff, will provide their input.

• Residents and community organizations will be invited to provide input through on-line, targeted surveys.

• City council and staff will identify priorities for inclusion in the strategic plan.

• Task force teams will be created to refine and develop the strategy and action plans for each priority. Task force teams may consist of municipal employees, external advisors and community representatives.

•A draft of the strategic plan will be made available for community input before the plan is approved by city council.

Chief administrative officer Carl Bannister says the city has created two surveys to gather input from residents and community organizations.

The residents’ survey and the community organization survey will be available on March 13.

The residents’ survey can either be accessed and completed on line on the city’s website at www.salmonarm.ca/strategicplan or residents can pick up a paper copy from city hall at 500 Second Avenue NE, Salmon Arm, V1E 4N2.

Community organizations will receive their survey information via email or mail before March 13, 2013 for completion by a representative of the organization.

All surveys will need to be completed and submitted prior to 4 p.m. on April 10 in order for survey results to be tabulated to meet the city’s strategic planning timelines.

Completed paper surveys can be returned to city hall.

 

The city intends to complete the strategic plan by fall 2013.