THUNDER BAY -- People need to get involved if they want to help shape the next four years of the city a resident says.
The first of two public open houses on the city's 2015-2018 strategic plan had about 50 people at the Italian Cultural Centre Tuesday night but most of those, including more than one-third of city council, were familiar faces. Others were city staff, part of community organizations or city-event regulars like Brent Kelso.
"It is very concerning to not see more residents out for these kinds of input sessions because at the end of the day a community is the people," he said.
While maybe some stay home because they think their voice won't be heard, it's important to be an engaged citizen, especially when you can help shape the next four years of the city. It's the reason he came to the open house, to get involved.
"Voting is just one step in the process," Kelso said.
City manager Tim Commisso said it's somewhat typical for the city to see Tuesday's attendance when there's not a single burning issue up for discussion. And while it won't head to council until May 11, preliminary results from the 2015 citizen survey is showing that people are pretty positive about the city Commisso said.
"What we see I think is that the people who are engaged are focused on issues, which they should be, are the ones that we hear from most often," he said.
The strategic plan is more about the big picture, typically focusing on the economy, governance, the environment and quality of life.
"It really sets out where you want to go and how you get there," Commisso said.
Last term of council put a heavy emphasis on the infrastructure deficit. While Commisso thinks that will continue, he's starting to see social issues, like affordable housing and diversity, start to become more of a focus.
City administration currently has about 40 plans in various stages that can also benefit from the new strategic plan, including the upcoming transit master plan Commisso said.
