At public strategic visioning sessions in the fall of 2016, residents identified economic development and health and wellness as the top priorities they wanted the Town of Huntsville to focus on in coming years. The result of that community feedback is the Town’s Strategic Plan 2017 and Beyond.
The document created in-house by Town staff in conjunction with Molly Ross, Communications Manager at the District of Muskoka.
In the document’s forward, Mayor Scott Aitchison noted that the plan is “practical as well as forward looking and promising to bring positive improvements to the Town… (It) will be a ‘living’ plan that will be closely monitored and refined annually to reflect changing circumstances and to take advantage of new opportunities.”
Huntsville’s strategic objectives were categorized into six priority areas: Economic Development, Health Care & Wellness, Natural Environment & Sustainability, Roads & Infrastructure, Fiscal Management & Governance and Communication.
VISION: A vibrant, inclusive, healthy community which inspires innovation and growth, celebrates the arts, culture and heritage, promotes recreation while developing a resilient economy founded on social caring and environmental stewardship.
Two to three goals were identified within each of the priority areas:
- Economic Development: create an economic development strategy that will diversify and strengthen the year-round economy; and expand access to high speed connectivity throughout Huntsville.
- Health and Wellness: ensure adequate and appropriate health care is in place to service the needs of all residents and visitors; create a comprehensive Community Master Plan that promotes long-term strategies for healthy and active living in Huntsville; and ensure Huntsville is seen as a safe, welcoming and inclusive community.
- Natural Environment and Sustainability: demonstrate the Town’s commitment to protecting the quality and character of the natural environment; and integrate sustainability principles into planning and development policies and processes.
- Roads and Infrastructure: develop and implement a Road and Transportation Master Plan to guide short-term development, construction and maintenance schedules, and to inform long-term capital planning; and ensure Town infrastructure and service levels respond to the needs of a prosperous and progressive community.
- Financial Management and Governance: apply a strategic approach to budgeting and resource allocation; ensure fiscal transparency related to how Municipal resources are managed; and ensure Municipal operations are streamlined, efficient and effective.
- Communications: improve access, quality, and timelines of Town communications; and engage the community regularly in order to build a culture of trust and openness.
A series of guiding questions for the plan’s implementation aim to ensure that decisions consider, where appropriate, accessibility, eliminating duplication, environmental impact, collaboration for efficiency and effectiveness, impact on rural areas, and youth engagement.
It will be the task of Town CAO Denise Corry to report back to council on the plan’s effectiveness. “Going forward we will have annual reports, report on the successes and how we met the objectives so that your ratepayers can see how we met the goals that were set by council and the community,” she told councillors.
Read the Town of Huntsville’s Strategic Plan 2017 and Beyond here (PDF).
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I am so pleased that Ms. Corry was unburdened of some of her ancillary responsibilities, so that she could take on this very important duty. We are, indeed, fortunate to have an employee of this capability and this is a very worthy use of her talents.