The City of Windsor has hired a consulting firm to help form its 20-year vision.
John Matheson of StrategyCorp has been hired as a consultant to help facilitate the sharing of pre-existing plans ideas and visions from elected officials.
“It would be very easy to say ‘oh come on, this is a hairy fairy talk, we don't need a vision.’ Actually, ya do. You do need a vision,” says Matheson. “You need one that's authentic to you, because if it's not, people can smell it."
Mayor Drew Dilkens says planning is key.
“We will put together what we think our vision is for the community over the next 20 years so we can plan and allocate resources accordingly," says Dilkens.
City councillors listened to reports from administration on municipal issues like transit, infrastructure and technology.
“We started with a really disciplined foundational briefing of plans that are already on the books,” says Matheson. “We don't need to reinvent the wheel, we need to find the gaps."
Matheson says he's encouraged to see the city has its fiscal house in order. He says having the financial ability to carry out a vision is equally important.
“If you have a vision and you get in line and stay in the line long enough and have a proven track record so people have faith in your as a delivery partner, then people tend to say ‘I like the vision, I believe you can be a partner, therefore I may invest in your project,’" says Matheson.
That partner, in this sense, is the taxpayer.
“We're only as strong going forward as the underlying strength of the community that supports the corporation," says city treasurer Onorio Colucci.
Dilkens says just because this exercise is taking place at city hall, doesn't mean it won't be community driven.
“This is not an exercise in isolation, public will be engaged in this process," says Dilkens.
The timeline for formulating this 20-year plan is very aggressive.
Councillors will be sitting down with strategists Wednesday and Thursday, then meet again in two weeks to go over the findings.
Then likely in June, public consultation on the proposed vision will begin.
By the end of the summer, residents may know what the municipal leaders have in mind for Windsor in the year 2035.
