The Regional District of North Okanagan hosted the first Regional Growth Strategy Elected Official’s Forum on the evening of April 16th at the Prestige Hotel and Conference Centre to begin to answer the question ‘Where do we want to be by 2031?. Answering that question was the focus of the discussions and facilitated exercises.
The purpose the first Elected Officials Forum was to provide an opportunity for elected officials and First Nations to define the direction of the Regional Growth Strategy process, discuss growth issues objectives and goals, and share ideas about the Regional Growth Strategy Vision of the future.
The two main objectives of the Elected Officials Forum were:
1. To define our regional vision for the North Okanagan; and
2. To develop broad, strategic growth issues objectives and goals.
The 41 attending participants were elected officials (26) and senior staff (15) from the City of Armstrong, District of Coldstream, City of Enderby, Village of Lumby, Township of Spallumcheen and Electoral Areas ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘E’ and ‘F’ met to discuss the strategic direction of the Regional Growth Strategy, our shared vision for the future and broad growth issues goals and objectives that will guide our working groups as we move into Phase II. All elected officials throughout the North Okanagan, including the six member municipalities, Electoral Area Directors and Chief and Council for the Splatsin Nation and Okanagan Indian Band.
Attending public officials from across the North Okanagan expressed near unanimous support for regional planning, something they deemed to be good for the region, desired, and necessary. As responsible community leaders these elected officials spoke passionately on the subject at the Elected Officials’ Forum. Regional planning provides the forum and the stimulus for integrated thinking which the basis is for strategic action aimed building sustainable communities, a prosperous economy and maintaining our quality of life.
The Board of Directors of the RDNO will use this information to define the strategic direction of the Regional Growth Strategy process and the growth issues to be addressed. Later in the spring, the task of developing the substance of the Strategy will begin in earnest through the efforts of our eight growth issues working groups. It is through this next phase of the project that we will commence development of specific goals, objectives and strategies for the eight key growth issues.
Elected Official Forum, April 16th, 2009: A Summary of Proceedings - 6.33MB PDF
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