Chief Administrative Officer John de Rosenroll says it is meant to engage the community in the planning of the municipality’s future.
The municipality last developed a strategic plan five years ago and de Rosenroll says the best parts of it will be included in the new document.
Council, municipal staff, citizens, and stakeholders including business organizations, the health care sector, and utilities will all be included in the process.
The process will include developing a mission statement and vision statement for the municipality.
Kincardine’s earlier vision statement was based on improving the quality of life with balance and energy.
The draft Community Plan will be developed and reviewed by a working group near the end of this year and then brought before council for approval.
Not all council members are supportive of the idea.
Councillor Gordon Campbell is conerned about the time and the cost involved and said he’d rather see an organization review that was considered during the budget process happen instead.
Councillor Randy Roppel says the organizational review would be more beneficial to municipal administration, council, and ratepayers.
The plan will be developed in-house, using municipal staff and resources at no extra cost.
Roppel thinks staff are already busy enough and don’t need any extra work to do.
Councillor Kenneth Craig supports the plan and says a common road map is needed, otherwise the direction of municipal departments would become separate and fractured.
He says it sets a point on the horizon that the municipality would aim for.
Mayor Larry Kraemer likes the idea of developing the Community Plan in-house and says it will involve a lot of communication with constituents to get insight on where the municipality should go.