ATHABASCA – Athabasca town council’s guiding light for the next 10 years was officially finalized and approved last week, despite a few typos.
At the Town of Athabasca’s Aug. 16 regular meeting, council unanimously approved Strategic Plan 2022-2032 which will be used by this council throughout its coming term, which ends in 2025, and beyond. With a vision statement reading “The River Community of Endless Opportunities”, it lays out four specific strategic areas — infrastructure, well-being, leadership and community.
“This plan illustrates the hopes and dreams of our municipality and reflects our priorities and values,” a message from council reads inside. “Whether it is creating a place where we respect the natural world around us, where citizens feel safe, or a place where people want to do business, this plan touches on the heart of what it means to live in Athabasca.”
Later it notes the four priorities are just a few of many for council. The plan was developed by council using what they learned from voters during the last election and what they’ve learned since being elected.
“These are the top four out of a myriad of priorities. Ranking goals provides our administration with absolute clarity on where the most value exists when building business plans and budgets.”
Each goal includes benchmarks of progress and success.
The first goal, “We will plan and prioritize long-term infrastructure decision-making", is followed up by benchmarks of having an asset management plan; basing asset decisions on evidence and subject matter expertise; giving the community confidence in town infrastructure; and using those assets to increase community beautification.
“Investing in assets for the community is a critical job of Council. As such, we place an emphasis on acquiring infrastructure that aligns with what our citizens see as important. We must also keep a keen eye on what the future holds for communities. We will attempt to secure grant dollars to maximize value and continue to move towards responsible energy management.”
Goal #2 of making clear council’s role as stewards in championing community well-being is easily recognized is followed by a plan to keep financial reserves healthy; being an attractive community for business, residents and visitors; and providing citizens with a sense of safety.
“When we were strategic planning we started by asking ourselves why does a municipality exist. For Council, our job is to provide the best long term well-being for our community and its citizens. We are determined to have a great conversation with the community about how we are doing in this regard,” reads the document.
Council also committed to strong governance through building community leadership by providing clarity in council roles and responsibilities; assessment and population growth; proactive agreements with other orders of government; having the community feel it has an opportunity to contribute.
“Elected officials are chosen to represent their community. A big part of demonstrating leadership is to work with all stakeholders to grow the community. Our critical relationships moving forward continues to be with community and regional partners. We see tremendous opportunities that will achieve mutual benefit. All of this comes with being deliberate about transparency and embracing the role we can play as the governing body.”
The fourth major priority involves having an engaged and inclusive community rich in partnerships, agencies, organizations and volunteers by enhancing success in community building; having the community proud to live in Athabasca; and having numerous, welcoming community events.
“We work together to leverage our strong relationships throughout the community. The pride shown in this community will be an anchor for building the community of the future,” reads the approved document.
While most of the discussion at the meeting pertained to minor typos and word choice, council agreed the content was there and further revisions weren’t necessary.
Coun. Sara Graling commented that the process of developing the strategic plan was a valuable exercise and allowed council to discuss “how success can look different depending on how the conversation is proceeding.”
