Courtenay city council has announced their priorities for the rest of their council term.
The priorities include Indigenous relations and reconciliation, affordable and supportive housing and air quality.
The priorities were adopted at the Sept. 27 council meeting.
Other priorities are a new ladder truck for the Courtenay Fire Department and recreation, parks, and transportation plans.
Chief administrative officer Geoff Garbutt says the priorities build on major themes identified at the beginning of council’s term.
“This was a robust review of our organization’s accomplishments since the last strategic planning update,” said Garbutt. “It was remarkable to see how much progress has occurred despite the challenges caused by COVID-19. This update will carry us through the next year and a half and link long-term planning beyond this Council’s term. We’re all eager and excited to continue working on these initiatives.”
The most recent update to the priorities was 2019.
Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells says the priorities will help guide the city through its ongoing recovery from COVID-19.
“This update will help our council and staff stay focused on the projects and initiatives that we’ve identified as our most important goals and ensure we allocate sufficient resources for them,” said Wells. “This has been a historically challenging time, and our staff have made incredible efforts to maintain the City’s essential operations through COVID-19, all while continuing to make progress on council’s major goals. This strategic priorities update was a great opportunity for us to review what we expect to achieve over the coming year.”
