The NG Municipal Council heard a report by Hillary Geneau, Strategic Initiatives Coordinator for the municipality, at the Council meeting of May 5, regarding the proposed new Strategic Plan for North Grenville. The report noted that “a strategic plan communicates Council’s priorities to the community”. Such plans are generally updated every five years, however since the last plan was implemented in 2013, a new Council was elected, with a new set of priorities. The pandemic has delayed the start of preparing an updated Strategic Plan, but planning for this has now commenced.
The proposed schedule for preparing the plan will involve community engagement sessions between June and September this year, including open houses, workshop sessions, and input from Advisory committees, schools and youth groups, and community groups. There will also be a period for municipal staff engagement, and a workshop for Council.
Feedback on the process will be invited between October and December, with a presentation of the final Strategic Plan set for January of next year.
Ms. Geneau’s report to Council laid out the process that will follow the final Plan being approved, to align future budgets and funding decisions with the priorities set out in the Plan. There will be annual reports to keep residents informed of the progress being made in implementing the Strategic Plan. Ms. Geneau noted that “by aligning the annual budget and business planning with the strategic plan’ goals, the process to achieve the strategic plan’s vision becomes more streamlined and the likelihood of success increased”.
This process has started with the formation of a Strategic Planning Committee, made up of 14 municipal staff members, and this group will be supported throughout the process by senior management. It was emphasized that “external consultation with community partners will be vital in the creation of this report”.
