Rolling out a façade grant program for downtown businesses and the updating of the off-site levy bylaw are two of five urgent priorities identified by council last week.
“It looks good,” said Coun. Tracey Walker before approving the strategic priority list that was created after a priority setting workshop March 8 and 9 at the library. Council and senior staff met with Gordon McIntosh of the Local Government Leadership Institute to put together a list of priorities for the next three years going forward.
“It was good to do,” agreed Coun. Mark Kembell.
One of the first programs expected to be tackled is a façade program with a deadline for the end of April.
Craig Teal, director of planning and development explained after council the program will offer a matching grant upwards of $5,000 to businesses in the downtown core wanting to reinvest in their storefronts.
“It's for businesses looking to put a little bit more effort or reinvestment in storefronts to improve the appearance which collectively improves the appearance of some of our streets,” he explained. The area will cover 50 Street as well as side streets including 49 and 53 avenues.
The program was approved during budget deliberations to cover as many as five applications this year. The program still needs to be approved by council and final details on how to manage the grant are still to be hammered out but Teal expects the rollout to start by the end of the month.
Also in the planning department, infrastructure priorities are expected to be identified by September in order to start a review of the off-site levy bylaw that was last updated in 2004. The plan is to have the levy bylaw updated and in place for January 2013 in order to implement changes for the 2013 construction year. Council also set a service plan as an urgent priority and requested to be involved from the beginning to the end in decisions around water, sewer and stormwater systems. The plan would look at analyzing the systems for best use of money and resources to ensure capacity and efficiency as well as targeting grants and budgeting for any needed projects.
The final two urgent priorities include the completion of the first phase of the downtown revitalization project expected by the end of October and completing a site plan for the library and learning centre by the end of June.
Other priorities include:
•Completion of the fire department in June
• Finishing utility fee review for October
•Update Woodlands Area Structure Plan by December.
•Finishing a policy by the end of May for an anti-graffiti program with key on enforcement
• Creating a remuneration committee to discuss council remuneration policy
