Residents could put their priorities on the story boards placed around council chambers at the G.R. Davis Administration Building.
The process is under way to shape the next four years in Fort Macleod.
Council and administration, with input from the public, will create a new four-year strategic plan.
Mayor Brent Feyter said the strategic plan is a vital tool for council during its four-year term.
“I think it really helps in getting council on the same page so we can communicate council’s wishes to administration,” Feyter said.
“I know our previous CAO (Sue Keenan) had it posted on her desk as a way of referencing and just checking to make sure she’s on track with the priorities that we had identified.”
“To us it’s more or less our governing document for our term,” Feyter said. “It’s a very good tool.”
The Town of Fort Macleod hosted an open house Wednesday at the G.R. Davis Administration Building.
People had the opportunity to list their priorities under a variety of headings, including business sector growth, residential housing, infrastructure, environmental and social responsibility, town appearance, recreation, history and heritage, arts and culture and community safety and security.
Residents can also offer their input through an on-line survey on the town’s Web site and Facebook page.
“To me, it’s like our vision for the next four years,” Feyter said.
Council and administration regularly refer to the strategic plan to make sure they are addressing the priorities.
The process began with a review of the previous council’s term and strategic plan.
“A lot of the items we’ve made good progress on,” Feyter said. “It’s like, what’s the next step now?”
The next step in the process was a look at Fort Macleod’s strengths, opportunities, aspirations and results.
Council and administration also did some brainstorming.
Stakeholder input is the next step, which is being done through the survey, open house and meetings.
Once the survey closes, administration will begin compiling the information for council to review.
That leads to a two-day visioning and planning session for council and administration to identify critical issues, broad goals and strategies.
An action plan will be created towards the end of May to implement priority strategies, with a time line attached.
A rough draft will be presented by administration in June for further review by council, residents, employees, community groups and key stakeholders.
It is anticipated the strategic plan will be finalized and approved by council in July or August.
Feyter said the strategic plan will change from the one followed from 2018-’22, since much of the work set out by the previous council has been completed.
It’s not just Fort Macleod working on a strategic plan. Other communities are also going through the same process.
MD of Willow Creek council recently adopted its new strategic plan.
“The strategic plan is critical, just for communication and direction,” Feyter said.
The input from the public is critical for Fort Macleod council to shape its strategic plan.
“It’s kind of like a suggestion box,” Feyter said. “It could be a small item, it could be a big item, but if it helps the community be better then it is important.”
Feyter said Fort Macleod residents had the opportunity to consider what the town could look like four years from now.
It is also a chance for residents to make council aware of struggles they are having or problems that can be addressed.
“We don’t always know those struggles, so this is an opportunity where people can come forward,” Feyter said.
By Thursday, 86 people had completed the on-line survey. The survey closes Wednesday, May 4.
“There’s a lot of good projects, it’s just how do we prioritize them,” Feyter said.
Developing the strategic plan will take about two months before it comes to council for final approval.
“In the end we’ll have a document that will detail our priorities for the next four years,” Feyter said.
