The County of Frontenac and the four Frontenac Townships are working together to develop a plan that secures the long-term sustainability of all five municipal government operations.
A recent report submitted to the Federal Government by the External Committee on Cities and Communities identified four dimensions of sustainability that together provide the framework for planning healthy, vibrant, prosperous and environmentally prosperous communities – economic, environmental, social and cultural.
The main reason organizations develop ‘strategies’ or ‘plans’ is to start a process of positive change. Effective strategic planning examines three basic questions – Where are we now? Where do we want to be? How will we get there?
A common statement or “shared vision” of where the Frontenacs are going is needed to focus the efforts of many stakeholders in one direction, especially when it comes to harmonized planning and the efficient allocation of scarce resources.
Assuming we share the same goal of establishing a healthy, vibrant, prosperous and environmentally sustainable community, what principles or criteria should be used to guide decisions, policies, plans and development?
Engaging the community to shape the framework for planning healthy, vibrant and prosperous communities provides a forum for identifying opportunities and challenges which should be incorporated into the planning process. It also provides a forum for identifying resources and opportunities for collaboration. In addition, a number of incidental outcomes are also expected to influence sustainability including, but not limited to:
- Participation and ownership (buy-in, cooperation and coordination)
- Capacity building and training
- Alignment with government policies
- Alternative funding mechanisms and sources
- Integrated and/or complementary initiatives that create a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts.
The first step in the community engagement process is to present the four dimensions of development sustainability for refinement and validation. The second step is to review and rank the principles or criteria that should be used to guide planning and decision-making as it relates to development sustainability.
The size, density and composition of the County suggest the need for a different approach to engaging the residents and stakeholders to achieve maximum participation. Rather than organizing a series of public meetings, a web-based process was developed along with a corresponding poster and survey process which allows any and all interested participants to move through the same process.
The Process
Both a web-based and a paper based process have been developed to engage the community in assembling a framework for sustainability. The process is the same for either approach and the objective is to gather input on the four dimensions of sustainability and to select principles for growth and development.
Assumptions
- The residents and stakeholders of the Frontenacs want to live in a community that is “healthy, vibrant, prosperous and environmentally sustainable”.
- Sustainability is essential.
- The four main dimensions of integrated community sustainability planning are: economic, cultural, environmental and social.
Steps in the Process:
1. A brief description of each dimension in the context of the County of Frontenac and the Frontenac Townships is presented for review and comment.
2. A long-list of principles and/or value statements for each dimension of sustainability is presented for review and ranking.
A number of planning processes offer guiding principles for communities including Smart Growth, and The Natural Steps (TNS) process. Rather than inviting individuals and groups to develop a new set of principles from scratch, these and other principles were reviewed and a short list is presented for review and consideration. Participants are invited to submit comments, provide additions and/or make suggestions to modify specific principles. See News & Links for more information.
3. Participants are invited to attend public meetings, which were held in November and December, 2008.
4. Additional feedback and input can be provided in the comment box on the ICSP Involvement page.
In an effort to encourage as much participation and to gather as much input and feedback as possible from residents, organizations and other stakeholders, the term of the project is expected to run from Spring 2007 to June, 2009.
Final consultations are now scheduled from August 22 to September 12, 2009. We hope you can come out and offer your thoughts if you have not already commented on the final draft documents posted on the front page of this web site.
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This project was made possible with a financial contribution from the Eastern Ontario Development Program (EODP) and the support of the Frontenac CFDC.