"Resiliency" will be a buzz word at Coquitlam city hall next year.
The term is a new theme in the draft 2023 Business Plan and proposes to replace "pandemic recovery" from this year.
Resiliency "is meant to capture the amount of uncertainty for next year," said Graham Stuart, Coquitlam's director of corporate, in his presentation before council-in-committee on Dec. 12, noting the economic pressures facing the municipality.
These include:
- the tight labour market
- supply chain disruptions
- high inflation on material costs
- lack of partner action
"The degree to which those are going to be an impact on city operations next year is still relatively unknown," Stuart said.
"We felt that the theme [of resiliency] would encompass the many bits of uncertainty in the external macro-environment for the organization."
Stuart said the economic pressures carry more risk in the development industry "and, for a growing city, this is especially true."
Besides the staffing crunch, Stuart added city hall also faces a leadership change early next year with the retirement of city manager Peter Steblin.
The draft 2023 Business Plan, which will be brought forward to council for consideration in February in conjunction with the operational budget, also repeats three themes from this year:
- equity, diversity and inclusion
- reconciliation
- balanced growth and livability
Coun. Craig Hodge said he would have liked "Community Safety" to be a theme for 2023, given the comments he heard on the doorstep during the fall election.
But Coun. Teri Towner said "Resiliency" captures that topic as, she heard while campaigning, residents already feel safe in Coquitlam.
"I didn't really get the sense that [community safety] has to be a theme," she said, adding, "I think resiliency is a great word."
On the books
As well, the draft 2023 Business Plan shows what’s on the city’s plate for the coming year — a list that now has 19 new initiatives, but removes six programs due to the lack of civic staff or movement from partner groups.
Off the priority grid for 2023 are:
- RCMP integrated mental health response
- səmiq̓wəʔelə/Riverview Lands comprehensive planning process
- Brunette interchange planning
- Coquitlam River Park master plan
- Coquitlam Crunch southern extension planning
- Town Centre Park gateway planning
What’s left are 54 major initiatives for next year, split into three categories of priorities.
Still, Steblin cautioned council that the list may be too much given the employment struggles and external factors.
Here is how the priorities are divided (*asterisk indicates new item for 2023)
Priority A
- Building Safer Communities Program*
- Property tax initiatives*
- Hybrid work implementation*
- Organizational transition*
- Community wildfire preparedness
- Housing affordability strategy initiatives
- Northeast Community Centre and park design
- Spani Pool renewal and expansion construction
- Innovation Centre renovations
- Austin Works yard renewal
- Burke Mountain joint school/park site planning
- Climate Action Plan
- Development application process review initiatives
- EDI initiatives
- Reconciliation
Priority B
- Land development activities*
- OCP review*
- Information and communications technology infrastructure upgrades*
- Environmental Sustainability Plan implementation*
- Digital services strategy renewal*
- Planet Ice future planning*
- RCMP strategic plan implementation
- Cedar Drive utility and road implementation
- Economic development strategy
- Fremont Connector planning and design
- Strategic Transportation Plan update
- Blue Mountain Park master plan
- Library services and spaces study
- Major Recreation and Cultural Facilities Roadmap
- Coquitlam Metro Vancouver water projects
- E-mobility strategy
- Business improvement initiatives
- Collective bargaining
- Hazard, risk and vulnerability analysis update
- Integrated development financial review
Priority C
- Community police office strategy*
- First responder pre-hospital care*
- Coquitlam corporate partners program review*
- Sport field strategy*
- Road safety strategy*
- Asset retirement obligations*
- Financial systems replacement planning*
- Space planning strategy*
- Strategic plan renewal*
- Hazel–Coy Neighbourhood Plan
- Heritage Management Strategy
- Southwest Housing Review
- Upper Pipeline Road Corridor Planning Overview
- Rail Crossing Grade Separation projects
- Streetscape Enhancement Program implementation
- Glen Park Phase 3 planning
- Urban forest management strategy
- Bylaw enforcement review
- Childcare partnership strategy implementation
