Yorkton Council has embarked upon a process to develop a Strategic Plan for the city.
As part of that process Mayor James Wilson announced a Community Strategic Plan Conference to be held Oct. 28 - 30 at the Gallagher Centre.
Wilson said the idea of creating a plan which looks to the future is "something all of us (on Council) believe in."
With a Plan developed through consultation it will provide the current and future Councils with important information from which to make better decisions. He said Councils will be able to have "better discussions based upon what the community's desire is."
Councillor Richard Okrainec agreed having a community plan will be a great help moving forward.
"Coming up with a 10-year strategy actually helps Administration and Council," he said.
"It gives us some idea of where we should go."
The Conference plan calls for 41 community members, most representing special interest groups within the city, to join City Council to "develop a shared vision to 2020 that will ensure the City of Yorkton to grow and prosper," related a release presented at a press conference at City Hall last Wednesday.
Wilson said various groups in the city; service clubs, cultural organizations, ministerial association, Chamber of Commerce, and others will be asked to submit names from which the final roster attending the Conference will be drawn.
Those people will then spend two-and-a-half-days coming up with a plan focused on "determining the future for Yorkton."
The Conference will be guided by Athabasca Business Development, which has done similar community planning with other cities including Brandon.
Wilson called the Conference "one of the steps along the way," to creating what is " really our shared plan." He said in that regard he hopes people feel as if they should partake in the process, suggesting it is everyone's "responsibility to orchestrate our future."
Those who are chosen will be asked to attend sessions all three days, said Wilson, adding that is not too great an expectation considering the focus of the event.
"This is development for the future of Yorkton," he said, adding it is Council's way of "hearing from the community about things they want."
While being organized by Council, Wilson said the Plan will not be restricted to issues which are the purview of municipal government. He said the direction of the Plan will come from participants, and may involve issues which require input from other levels of government.
Wilson said he appreciates the effort people will make by attending the Conference.
"Planning for the future takes a lot of courage," he said.
The Conference will cost the City $12,000, "which we see as insignificant in a 10-year plan," said Wilson.
