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The municipality of Calvin’s new strategic plan includes extending the landfill’s life, animal control, and creating a position of chief administrative officer amongst its goals.
The plan “is a communication tool to inform residents” of where the municipality is headed “and how it will be achieved,” the report explains.
The detail within “represents our compass to the future,” with the focus “on building a vibrant, safe and healthy community for the next leg of the Municipality’s journey.”
After a third reading, council unanimously decided to adopt the strategic plan during their January 11 meeting.
“It took a long time to get that one finished” Mayor Ian Pennell said, referring to the 25 months it took to draft the document.
Since late 2019, much “time and effort” was spent preparing the plan. A survey was distributed to residents and feedback was sought from “several important stakeholder perspectives.”
This is the first strategic plan the municipality has unveiled. It will be reviewed and updated every five years, with the first revision planned for 2026.
Each year the municipality will update citizens as to how the plan is unfolding, and if the goals are being reached.
What are the goals? The main goal is to increase the life of the municipal landfill. To accomplish this, council will “continue to be proactive with limiting divertible items” that end up in the dump.
Council wants to purchase a new compactor truck “to increase compaction rates even more,” and will enforce transparent bag use “so employees can educate citizens on divertible materials.”
Municipal vehicles are also on council’s mind, and part of the strategy is to investigate purchasing or leasing a new pickup truck “for use by all departments.”
This goal falls toward the latter-end of the plan’s timeline, between year three and five.
See related: East Ferris checks strategic plan, aims to become more 'business-friendly'
Animal control rings in at number three on the plan, with council wanting to launch an educational campaign on the importance of dog tags.
The municipality also plans to investigate costs associated with microchipping dogs, investing in a chip reader and “obtaining access to the appropriate database” to keep tabs on canine residents.
A social media campaign will be launched to encourage residents to licence their dogs and encourage dog owners to take photos of their dogs “so they are easier to return to their owners.”
As for municipal finances, “reserves need to be built back up” for future projects, the report notes.
Council also wants to develop a thorough plan for the township’s recreation facilities and begin to set aside funds for them.
The plan also pledges support for “affordable housing initiatives,” and “friendly senior services including Cassellholme expansion.”
A training budget will also be established for new members of council. The estimated cost is $5,000 annually.
The last goal outlined is to create a chief administrative officer position. “Implement the position as soon as possible,” the report urges.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
