The Comox Valley Regional District board has agreed on its key areas of focus for the coming year, which marks the final term for its directors.
The CVRD’s 10 elected officials identified eight priority projects that cover planning for sustainable growth in targeted development areas, improving recreation services, growing agricultural opportunities and protecting the environment, which includes preparing for climate change and community emergencies.
Each year, the board undertakes strategic planning that establishes high level principles for service delivery and priority actions that lead into the annual financial planning process. In consideration of each of these priorities, the board applies four key drivers to ensure its actions reflect its goals for the community. These include:
•Climate crisis, environmental stewardship and protection
•Community and social well-being
“While strategic planning is an administrative process it very much affects how the CVRD delivers on community priorities to implement taxpayer funded programs,” says Jesse Ketler, board chair. “This process directly drives our program planning, grant applications and delivery of our core services, including how we allocate staff and budgets throughout the year.”
The board has determined the following eight key projects will guide CVRD staff in setting priorities and work plans for 2022:
•Regional Growth Strategy – present a scoping study on options, implications, and recommendations for a review of the RGS.
•Airshed roundtable – develop a regional action plan on air quality.
•Sustainable services for the south – pursue essential services for southern communities, including a Water Masterplan and collaborative Sewer Strategy.
•Agriculture planning – support rural economic development and agricultural opportunities, including community grant programs and food hub feasibility.
•Watershed stewardship advocacy – work towards water stewardship across jurisdictions including the completion of a Rural Areas Stewardship Study.
•Emergency resilience – further develop regional emergency response capacity, particularly related to climate change impacts through the Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program and the FireSmart Chipper Program.
•Recreation services – focus on strategic planning, partnerships and facilities upgrades through enhanced asset management.
•Regional climate adaptation and mitigation – prioritize actions the CVRD can undertake to respond to impacts from climate change – and communicate out to the community.
FMI: comoxvalleyrd.ca/strategic-priorities