City council recently spent two days hashing out their strategic priorities for the next few years.
Councillors and staff spent Jan. 9 and 10 meeting at the St. Albert Inn, working together to set the stage for this council’s term via a strategic planning and priorities session.
“Both days were fully attended by all members of council as well as members of our senior management so everyone was there,” said mayor Nolan Crouse.
The public won’t get a chance to see the document until it is released as part of the council agenda package for their Feb. 3 meeting. During that meeting councillors could attempt to add something or even vote against passing the priorities package.
“What you’re going to see is a product of all seven members of council and what you’re going to see is a product that really doesn’t bring many surprises, quite frankly,” Crouse said.
The discussions were held in camera. The agenda report shows various exercises and dialogue formats were planned for both days.
“For the most part I felt very good about the dialogue and the way we dealt with it,” Crouse said.
He said the process was “very productive, very open and I think what the community will ultimately sense is a very aligned … plan,” he said.
The strategic planning and priorities session will be an annual event, he said, likely with shorter sessions a couple of times a year to review. But this round was the newly-elected council’s first for this term, following orientation and the budget process.
“It’s to set up the next four years. At times it will look like it’s more short-term focus, but it’s starting to map out the next four years,” Crouse said.
