The Municipality of Brockton is creating a new action plan that will solidify the Municipality’s goals for the next five years and ensure projects are in line with the community’s priorities.
Consultations with community groups and residents will begin immediately, using surveys and focus groups, as well as feedback through our community portal, Build Your Brockton. Bill Winegard of Winegard Municipal Consulting will be assisting in the process. The action plan will build on the framework outlined in Brockton’s strategic plan, Building a Better Brockton, yet will be updated to reflect our changing economy and local priorities. The strategic plan was written in 2013, and eight years later, it’s time for a refresh.
“Back in 2013, the people and businesses of Brockton did a lot of excellent work to define what’s important to us. Many of the goals within the four pillars of our strategic plan are as relevant now as they were then; we’re not going to reinvent the wheel,” Chief Administrative Officer, Sonya Watson said. “Brockton still wants to expand the local economy, preserve our heritage, support our cultural and leisure activities, and enable residents to live safe and healthy lives in an affordable community.”
The new action plan will translate the broad community goals and strategies from the 2013 plan into specific initiatives for the next four or five years. It will take into account changes the community is experiencing, from COVID-19 and labour force challenges, to a robust housing market, aging population and opportunities to draw newcomers from urban areas to a welcoming community such as ours. Staff changes at the municipal office, due mainly to retirements, also afford an opportunity to review how we can continue to deliver high-quality services efficiently to Brockton residents and businesses. The process will create an action plan that will see concrete, measurable results by 2025 that align with the community’s current priorities.
First and foremost, the Municipality plans to consult with all stakeholders over the next few months, presenting recommendations to Council by spring. Council expects to adopt the 2021-2025 Action Plan by this summer. The process will include two community surveys -- one a random sample of households and the other open to all residents. The Municipality will also survey the business community to determine how to best support them in the wake of the pandemic, through a separate but aligned Economic Development Action Plan.
“What we need now is a series of clear practical actions that will yield measurable results,” CAO Watson said. “We’ll need not just the Municipality but also our businesses, our community organizations, our agricultural community and Brockton residents of all ages to give us their workable ideas and to help us implement them in the future.” Brockton’s current strategic plan, Building a Better Brockton, can be found at https://www.brockton.ca/en/our-services/sustainable-strategic-plan.aspx. Our online community portal, Build Your Brockton, will give the public an opportunity to contribute to the new action plan. It can be found at https://buildyourbrockton.ca/.
source: media release, Municipality of Brockton
