It was about minus 30 when I decided to walk over to Elsa's at about 545 last night. The twenty minute walk ( hey - my heavy Sorels slowed me down) was bracing. Met Edgar K. slipping across the snowbank in front of Elsa's. We entered a warm, steamy room. My glasses fogged up before I got my gloves off.
A few councillors and administrators were milling around, chatting. The room looked good. Dim lights. Wine colored table covers. Nice glasses and plate settings. Cosy round tables - the kind that encourage discussion, I guess. Floating on the dinner plate, an ominous one-page meeting agenda with 13 items. That gave new meaning to groaning board.
We ate roast beef, salads (dressing on the side for some of us concerned about politician paunch), lots of potatoes and vegetables. Coffee and pie for dessert. So much for weight watching.
The crowd was thin. No mayors or reeves in sight (from either town, village, or county). Quite a few councillors from each group couldnt make it. But that didn't hold us back. We forged on with regional discussion and dialogue and of course some good old fashioned "non decision decision-making" that included directions to take some motions and positions back to our respective councils for official decisions. Regional Government without regional government (or the press and the public.)Okay, I wont mention it again.
Barry Fraser presented the Athabasca Regional Community Economic Development Advisory Committee report. We had this a few days early and a discussion ensued.
The ARCED Advisory group has done some good thinking and it was appreciated. The revised proposal included a new and considerable emphasis on Community Economic Development, as opposed to simple economic development (see next posting for some examples of the differences). There was general support for this idea, but we identified many issues that need to be ironed out. That's normal when we are talking about spending up to $250,000 taxpayers dollars.
Town Council plans to make this paper public at the next Town Council meeting. But for now, here is a summary of the issues that came up. Barry provided a good summary, and asked that the three councils now act on the main recommendation of the committee to hire a Community Economic Development Officer. Basically, Barry affirmed that what we had in front of us was coming from their discussions with community groups across the region, and while Councils can make any changes we want, we should keep in mind what people have recommended. He also urged us to recognize that we now need to move ahead and take ownership of the issue or we will lose the impetus and public participation. He then took questions. Here are a few examples of the give and take.
Questions Arising
Jim from Boyle asked if we can brand the name differently so that Boyle has more identity in the process? They seemed interested but want to assure good service for their area. Boyle had been working with their own economic development consultant. A regional approach would have to promise more. The Athabasca County - Town of Athabasca - Boyle Regional Community Economic Development Office? ACTABOR-CED? Hmm.
Hugh O. from A_Town pointed out our keen interest in this kind of position, then ceded the chair.
MikeG from Town pointed out a few tensions or questions arising from his and Town Council's reading of the document
- There is some confusion (tension) between an emphasis on economic development and community economic development in the document - These two approaches don't always mix well. This document looks much improved and suggests ways accomplish both. Mike explained that the CED focus is important to the Town Council, who wish to see a good portion of the CED Office emphasize strengthening the whole community from the inside (working with small business, associations, health, education, day care, small business, trailing, youth, native friendship centre, social or non-profits housing and coop development) as well as attracting large business opportunities by outside investors etc.
- the Town has its own pressures that we hope to address with this position (working with local and outside developers, assisting associations and other groups doing public work) etc.
- working with community groups to strengthen their organizations and their efforts at offering services such as day care, (as well as other sectors that make the community strong such as non-profits, farmer's market, food bank, faith communities, social businesses like Native Friendship, Blue Heron etc.)
- The County representatives who spoke asked us to think big, but most of their examples were focused on chasing outside investors and new businesses like trucking firms, precisely the focus of ED but not CED (which does some of this but not all the time)...so some real differences in vision are apparent here. Not incompatible, but we need to be clear about the emphasis and the mix of responsibilities.
- Town recognized as well the need to clarify governance (Barry clarified that they were proposing at least 2 councillors from each community, as well as public advisers. This was new info and well received.). The municipal representation is now clearer. I also mentioned that the public advisory council makeup should draw representatives from those who share and practice the wider CED focus of the position, as well as the business focus.
- The biggest issue the Town raised was the need for more than one position because the job is large, the region is larger, and past practice shows that one person will find it too difficult. Barry told us that the committee had considered an office with a director and a staff person - or one director and one or two .5 people who might work more closely with each community (that is, be present so many days a week in Boyle and Athabasca or other hamlets). I suggested at least two people (one to focus on the east side of the region, one on the west side). The east-west idea was criticized by some County councillors who saw it as divisive. They argued for one person. The County CAO argued for one position too and that we needed to get on with things and think big. Councillors from Boyle and Athabasca were more interested in the larger concept of an Office with at least two staff, and some presence in communities on a regular basis. I reminded everyone that the my experience as Chair of Regional Tourism (which Boyle dropped out of) led me to conclude we needed more people to be present in the communities and work face to face. On second thought, I felt that we should think bigger - organize the office with two people with some common functions and some specializations by function and not by region - say both do research, marketing and region wide strategizing and coordination and communication; and then each one focuses - one on community strengthening, another on working with outside investors etc...Again, thinking big is good, but cost might be the real brake on all this.
Later in the meeting under Business Items more discussion occured but the final decision was for each council to go home, nominate two people to take this proposal to the next stage - focus the Office concept, governance model, budget sharing ideas, and refine job descriptions. Motion approved (opps 'non-motion motion' approved).
More agenda items - see next posting
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