City of Powell River councillors will continue discussion regarding council’s draft strategic priorities for 2024 to 2026.
At the January 16 committee of the whole meeting, councillors, in their agenda package, had a two-page document outlining direction on intergovernmental relations, healthy community, environmental resiliency and economic vibrancy. The draft strategic priorities exercise began with the assistance of a consultant and was completed internally.
Mayor Ron Woznow introduced the topic by saying some people might wonder why the exercise had taken 14 months after the election of council in October 2022.
“When we started, we did not have a chief administrative officer (CAO) and we went through a series of interim CAOs,” said Woznow. “We had a consultant that came in and worked with council on the start of our strategic planning exercise. Unfortunately, she was a little overloaded and could not finish the exercise with us.
“We subsequently sat down as a council and decided council should take it on ourselves to develop the draft strategic plan. One of the reasons was cost-effectiveness and number two was the fact we have some individuals, like councillor [Trina] Isakson, who have done a lot of strategic planning.”
Woznow said there would be an opportunity over the next couple of weeks for council to look at the draft and make recommendations for changes and modifications at the February 1 city council meeting, and it is also an opportunity for members of the public to provide feedback regarding what they think are important strategic directions for council.
Councillor George Doubt said the strategic priorities are intended to be an expression of what council all agrees as long-term goals.
“They are long-term goals that all of council can agree with,” said Doubt. “It’s not an easy thing to do when you have seven people on council with differing opinions on what we should and shouldn’t do. We’ve had at least four full days of meetings with council and it has taken that long to come up with this draft plan.
“It doesn’t actually accomplish anything other than listing a list of priorities. Every one of those priorities should give staff an idea about how their report will be received when it comes to council.”
Doubt said he was willing to accept the strategic priorities as published. He said that at the last planning session, council said it would buy into the plan, and that would provide an opportunity to move ahead.
Seeking support
Woznow said he disagreed with Doubt and does not believe there is unanimous support for the draft document.
“That’s why I’m hoping, over the next couple of weeks, that council can work together to reach a consensus on what we would like to put forth to the public as our strategic priorities,” said Woznow.
Councillor Jim Palm said when he received the draft financial plan on January 4, he wasn’t in agreement with some of the specifics noted. He said he was taken aback with the draft coming out on January 4 and appearing in the committee’s agenda without any council input.
“It leads to nothing but problems,” said Palm. “Some of the items in this draft are contentious. We need to downplay these contentious issues and try to come together.
“I would like to see this in front of council for consideration and input, over the next couple of weeks, before it comes back, because I want to downplay some of the specifics that are mentioned here.”
Councillor and committee chair Cindy Elliott said the majority of council members were happy with most of the items in the plan.
“Our process here today is to look at the draft,” said Elliott. “If there’s words you’d like to have changed, say so here in the committee meeting and we can talk about that. Or, we can circulate it and put it on an agenda for another meeting once we’ve had a chance to sit on it and come back with more specific ideas as to what we’d like changed.
“My job as chair is to ask: what is the will of council for this draft?”
Isakson put forward a motion to send the draft to the February 1 city council meeting for adoption. Doubt said it was a good idea. Palm suggested council get together and have a lengthy discussion regarding the draft before it comes to council. He also suggested an amendment to Isakson’s motion, so councillors could have a meeting before the matter is brought before council. His amendment was to bring the matter before council at its February 15 meeting to further discuss the strategic priorities.
The amendment carried, with Doubt opposed. The committee then carried the amended motion to send the draft to the February 15 council meeting.
The committee then discussed whether the meeting to further discuss the strategic priorities be public or closed. Isakson made a motion that the workshop for the strategic priorities be a public meeting. Palm advocated that it be a closed meeting.
Isakson’s motion for the meeting to be held in public carried, however, with Palm opposed.
