People - The most important Investment we need to make

Clarenville has seen unprecedented growth in the past 2 decades.  The existing town based systems that may have worked adequately in the 70’s and 80’s are now failing us.   Growth however is not the problem; rather it is our inability to manage that growth that is problematic.  The time has come to make the needed investments in people and policies to better deal with growth.     I feel we can and must integrate modern and proactive strategies that increase our ability to better manage a modern town. The good news is that we've already started this!  The citizen-led Strategic Plan the Council adopted in 2008 and the Municipal Plan adopted last year are roadmaps - now we just have to drive. The actions proposed in these documents are designed to ensure that growth is managed and that the natural beauty of our town – the stuff that is truly valuable – is preserved. 

People underlie the success of these plana - we need to focus more strongly on our staff to help them do their jobs better.  Here are my thoughts:

Investments in Staff:

Hire an Engineer Planner / Contract a Planner  

This Council and the previous council have acknowledged the need for a better managed approach to development.  The Town needs a planner with engineering background to guide the vast array of projects that are underway.  We have the guidelines in place but there are paper tigers without a better degree of Town supervision to ensure that the regulations are followed.  A professional planner will not be cheap, but compare that with the cost of continued chaotic type development that is now more the norm than the exception.  In the near term this problem needs to be addressed immediately by contracting a planner; however the goal needs to be to get a person on staff.

Plan for Recruiting - focus on retention

Many of the key people on the Town's staff, who have dedicated their lives to working for and building this town are within 4 years of retirement.  Each of these people posses invaluable knowledge that will be hard to capture, and each of these people will be difficult to replace.  It is imperative that the planning for this eventuality needs to take place now. 

With numerous projects on our doorstep, some current employees may be tempted to leave for more lucrative jobs.  The Town must be sensitive to this and work to ensure a work environment that workers value.

A stronger commitment to staff training

The Council needs to evaluate its goals relative to the skills of its current staff.  Where gaps exist there needs to be provisions put in place to narrow the gap.  This could include training, hiring or early retirements.  By training and appropriate hiring, we could improve the effectiveness of Council staff, develop a learning centred work environment, improve citizen service and, most importantly for staff, improve the work environment. 

 Better Municipal Enforcement

Clarenville has a host of rules on its books that, on paper at least, speak to the progressive intentions of our town.  It’s the kind of regulations that speaks loudly to younger families.   No smoking on Town properties, appropriate signage, and subdivision development regulations are just a few examples.  Unfortunately, without public education and enforcement rules ring hollow and add to public cynicism.     We need to invest more heavily in education and enforcement.  The Town has seen fit to hire a Municipal Enforcement officer but we now need to take the effort further.  That individual needs training and enforcement powers. The rest of the Town's outside staff must also be aware of their role is supporting enforcement.