Council here has no plans to revisit the strategic planning process last conducted in 2013.
After a review of the 2013 community-based strategic plan document Township of Mapleton – Building Our Future Together, council agreed on March 22 to accept the document for information purposes.
“Is there a process for tweaking this?” asked councillor Marlene Ottens, noting she saw a few things in the plan that were now done or “could be eliminated.”
Mayor Neil Driscoll suggested council could have a special meeting to go through the plan. However CAO Brad McRoberts pointed out making changes to the plan would require public input.
“It is a public process. There would have to have public meetings,” he explained. “If there’s things in here that are done, that’s okay, they don’t have to be updated.”
The CAO continued, “The key thing if there’s something in here you say ‘We don’t want to do that anymore’ or if something is not in here that you do want to do – with strategic plans, a status report is typically what I like to see happen.”
The plan review did trigger discussion on development of additional industrial lands in the township.
Councillor Michael Martin noted availability of industrial land was listed as “a strength,” in the 2013 document.
“It’s possibly not a strength anymore because I think we have one serviced lot remaining,” said Martin.
Driscoll pointed out the township currently has 25 acres of un-serviced industrial land – “currently farmland” – in its inventory.
Councillor Lori Woodham suggested council should determine how it wants to proceed with development of that land.
“I do not recall ever reviewing that as a council, this council, whether it would be appropriate for us to be the developer of our outstanding lands,” she said.
Councillor Dennis Craven said, “I think we should be giving the private sector the first chance to develop these lands.”
McRoberts suggested a staff report be prepared on the potential for developing additional land.
“Could that include an inventory of lands we own?” asked Craven.
“That would be a separate report, a little more time-consuming,” said McRoberts, noting an inventory is being developed and will be presented to council in the future.
