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PROCESS
A new approach to planning is underway in Williams Lake - an approach that supports a forward-looking and adaptable community - recognizing "upstream" solutions to address local and global challenges.
The City of Williams Lake received $175,000 for the second phase of the ICSP moneys from the Union of British Columbia Municipalities through the Federal Gas Tax funding. The first phase was an integrated community assessment which served as the background report to Phase two. The money’s were used to support the work with the Whistler Centre for Sustainability, The Natural Step Canada, Tom Lancaster formerly from Smart Growth Advisory Services and Ears to the Ground Planning, most of which are non-profit organizations. Together with Williams Lake staff, this team facilitated the development of an Integrated Community Sustainability Planning (ICSP) approach for Williams Lake. The ICSP approach will now guide long-term planning and revision of the City's Official Community Plan (OCP).
The ICSP approach is developing through a series of public consultations, including:
Event Timing _____ # people
Imagine Williams Lake process June 2008 75
Online survey March-October 2009 50
Kitchen Tables meetings, Hot Spot listening posts,
Performance in the Park and National Aboriginal Day June2009 300
Community Partners Café June 2009 80
Meetings with Standing Committees Sept-October 2009 250
Great Adventure: Williams Lake October 2009 75
Youth Video Project October 2009 125
Community Partners’ Café II November 2009 40
Innovators’ Summit March 3 2010 80
Suitability Focus Groups and Surveys March 1 -15th 80
Community Partners Café III- Launch of ICSP May 12th 2010 78
Draft Suitability Open House May 17th 2010 18
Upcoming:
GHG Targets and reduction Goals August
Draft OCP Engaging the Community in Land Use September2010
To date, 10 Priority Areas and Goals have been developed and refined by the community for Williams Lake in the ICSP process, under the following headers: Resilient Economy, Social Well-Being, Partnering with First Nations, Distinctive Arts Culture & Heritage, World-Class Recreation, Affordable Housing & Liveable Neighbourhoods, Lively Downtown, Cherished Local Ecosystems, Active & Convenient Transportation and Local Food & Agriculture.
Within each priority area, draft Descriptions of Success, Descriptions of Current Reality and Transition Strategies have been created and are circulating for further community feedback. The ICSP framework will be used to guide development of the new Official Community Plan (OCP) for Williams Lake due in September 2010 and a number of additional implementation actions that will be coordinated by the City of Williams Lake in partnership with many community members, organizations and interest groups.
So far, the process has resulted in the development of two sets of sustainability-based criteria for evaluating future plans, policies, projects and practices within Williams Lake and a frame work for the implementation of the ICSP:
1. A Council Sustainability Declaration, which includes a set of sustainability principles and Smart Growth principles to be applied by the City; and
2. The ICSP’s Priority Strategy Areas; and
3. Framework for the implementation of the ICSP.
These draft criteria are described in the next two sections. In the Imagine Our Future process, they will be applied for determining appropriate land uses and other policies for the updated OCP. As these criteria are developed further and refined during the process, it is anticipated that they will become formalized into an approved, sustainability-based decision making framework for the City.
1. Council Sustainability Declaration
In November 2009, Council adopted the following overarching sustainability statement, in addition to the Sustainability Principles and Smart Growth principles below.
We are proud to be part of a community as rich in natural amenities, economic opportunities, and social possibilities as Williams Lake, and to be working on behalf of a future in which our economy, environment, society and governance are integrated in ways that foster vibrant communities, strong economies and healthy ecosystems. To that end, we commit ourselves to creating the conditions necessary for a sustainable future.
Sustainability Principles
Council has endorsed the following overarching sustainability principles:
By seeking innovative and flexible solutions to the challenges that confront us, by sharing our knowledge, and by coordinating our actions, we will strive to attain the following sustainability principles:
· Reduce our contribution to the progressive build-up of materials (and their associated wastes) that are extracted from the Earth’s Crust;
· Reduce our contribution to the progressive build-up of synthetic materials produced by society;
· Reduce our contribution to the ongoing physical degradation of nature; and
· Reduce our contribution to conditions that undermine people’s ability to meet their basic needs.
Smart Growth Principles
In addition to the sustainability principles, Council has endorsed Smart Growth principles:
We will strive to follow the “Principles of Smart Growth” for our community’s planning and development:
· Create a Range of Housing Opportunities and Choices;
· Create Walkable (human-scale) Neighbourhoods;
· Encourage Community and Stakeholder Collaboration;
· Foster Distinctive, Attractive Communities with a Strong Sense of Place;
· Make development decisions predictable, fair and cost effective and using Sustainability Guidelines;
· Mix Land Uses;
· Preserve Open Space, Farmland, Natural Beauty and Critical Environmental Areas;
· Provide a Variety of Transportation Choices;
· Strengthen and Direct Development Towards Existing Neighbourhoods; and
· Take Advantage of Compact Building Design.
2. Integrated Community Sustainability Plan Priority Strategy Areas
The following ten draft strategies, in no particular order of importance, were developed after extensive consultation with the community and reflect the community’s priority sustainability areas. They should also be used as a lens for viewing future proposals to see how they do or do not address these priorities.
Lively Downtown
Our community’s heart and soul is our downtown – it is a vibrant, distinct and welcoming place for community gatherings and social interactions and acts as the retail, cultural, entertainment, and social centre of the city and it is the principle place for the exchange of locally produced goods and services.
Local Food and Agriculture
Our City models a regional food system that is resilient, locally-focussed, healthy, and contributes to the overall enjoyment, development and health of our community, its individual members and our local ecosystems.
Cherished Local Ecosystems
Our community is widely recognized as a model for demonstrating how a community can contribute to healthy ecosystems while being economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.
Active and Convenient Transportation
Our multimodal transportation system provides access to people, places, goods and services in a manner that is convenient, safe, affordable, sustainable, efficient, enjoyable, and contributes to the success of all other community priority areas.
Affordable Housing and Liveable Neighbourhoods
Our neighbourhoods are friendly, convenient, safe, affordable, sustainable and attractive and provide an abundance of opportunities for social interactions with attractive and affordable housing options.
Resilient Economy
Our economy relies on resource-based industries, the strengths and assets of our local community and innovation. We are committed to designing our local economy to fulfil community-held strategic goals for the future and the principles of sustainability, resulting in prosperity for all community members.
Partnering with First Nations
As a community, we celebrate our cultural diversity and resiliency, and in so doing, we honour and respect the long history, traditional knowledge and unique contributions of First Nations to our way of life in Williams Lake. We support the preservation and cultivation of First Nations’ cultures, traditions, resources and land for all generations.
Distinctive Arts and Culture
Our diverse arts, cultures and heritages are recognized and celebrated as integral to our community’s identity, attracting new residents and visitors to Williams Lake.
World Class Recreation
Recreation opportunities in Williams Lake are accessible, affordable and innovative, engaging all members of our community, as well as providing for diverse visitor needs.
Social Well-Being
Our community members have a healthy quality of life and share a common commitment to the health, well-being and happiness of our children and their families. Community members of all ages, life stages and lifestyles feel connected to the community and their participation in the community is valued. Williams Lake is recognized as one of the most desirable small towns for families to live.
3. Framework for ICSP Implementation “Creating Our Future”
Moving forward the community is actively exploring and acting upon a number of initiatives to implement the ICSP Framework, including:
· Translating the Imagine Our Future transition strategies into the policies in the Official Community Plan to ensure land use planning is aligned with the long term vision of the community. In Williams Lake, drafting the Official Community Plan is the next phase of the Imagine Our Future initiative in 2010 to ensure that land use planning and policy is consistent with the transition strategies outlined.
· Establishing an easily- and publicly-accessible monitoring system of key performance indicators to report and evaluate progress. To ensure accountability and continuous learning a system will be set up that citizens can easily access to understand progress in each of the Strategic Priority Areas. The key performance indicators and actions are periodically reviewed by committees of community partners (see below), as well as Council, to evaluate progress and make mid-course corrections along the way.
· Establishing shared leadership with community partners to take leadership of different strategic priority areas. The municipal government is one key partner amongst many, however not the only partner responsible for the success of the Imagine Our Future objectives. Ultimately, responsibility for implementation is shared by all leaders in the community. As such, committees will be set up consisting of community partner organizations that have a stake in the future of the community and also the resources and passion to take action. These committees will meet twice a year to establish targets, identify priorities, develop action plans and implement them. In Williams Lake this will likely mean realigning some of the current community committees around the ten Strategic Priority Areas.
· Creating a municipal decision-making framework for capital projects and land use decisions that evaluates decisions using the ICSP Framework as a lens. To ensure that decisions made by the City and Council are consistent with the ICSP Framework and the decisions of community partners, a decision-making tool for land use, funding, policy work , etc. is being created to screen all major decisions to effectively bring Williams Lake closer to success.
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