Now a quarter of the way there, Cochrane council members were provided an update on the 2013 Strategic Plan on Feb. 25.
Town CAO Julian deCocq informed council that its list of priorities for the year — which includes recreational and cultural development, community connectivity, economic development and public engagement – are moving forward as planned.
Some key areas of the plan that have moved forward so far include: the Open Spaces Master Plan, approved November 2012; beginning development of the Quarry site along with the Centre Ave. extension; and the Community Revitalization Levy (CRL), approved in December 2012.
In addition to the three areas that have seen some movement in a young 2013, six more were identified by deCocq that remain in the research and planning stages, such as the creation of the Multimodal Master Transportation Plan, which will pinpoint the scope to which the town will pursue a transit system in Cochrane; the implementation of the Zero Waste Framework; Integrated Downtown Action Plan; a construction of a new RCMP station; advancement of recreation, arts and culture; and the 2013 East End Streets Improvement Project.
The town’s efforts to improve its communication with residents through social media, public engagements, website improvements and other means were also addressed.
Councillor Joann Churchill said, “The bar has been set very high for our communications.” The town’s communications department created the public engagement brand, Let’s Talk Cochrane, which spans several social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter and aims to get residents involved in several town initiatives, like transit and the budget.
A Let’s Talk Cochrane website is expected to launch in the coming months, and a new Town of Cochrane website should also be up and running this September.
The 2013 Strategic Plan combined with council’s list of priorities is what makes up administration’s business goals, which are created to support present service levels and advance council priorities.
