HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-11-008 - Safe & Healthy Community Advisory Committee - 2011-2012 Work PlanREPORT TO:Financial and Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
May 2, 2011
SUBMITTED BY: Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee
PREPARED BY:
Shelley Adams, Director, Strategic Planning & Innovation,
(519) 741-2476
Sue Weare, Strategic Planning Associate,
(519) 741-3400 x3261
WARD(S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT: May 2, 2011
REPORT NO.:
CAO-11-008
SUBJECT:
Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee Work Plan
(2011-2012)
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee Work Plan (2011-2012), as
attached to report CAO-11-008, be approved.
BACKGROUND:
The 2008 Advisory Committee Review required the Safe and Healthy Community Advisory
Committee (SHAC), as with all advisory committees, to develop and implement an annual work
plan with the assistance of staff. At the February 3, 2011 and March 3, 2011 meetings,
members suggested actions they would like to see the Committee take and identified their
priorities for the coming year. Staff developed a draft work plan based on these discussions.
REPORT:
At their April 20, 2011 meeting, the Committee considered a draft Safe and Healthy Community
Advisory Committee Work Plan (2011-2012), which described several initiatives, along with
related action items and tasks. These will continue to be added to or revised, as required. Major
initiatives proposed for the upcoming term of appointment (2011-2012) include:
the development of a City-wide Safe Neighbourhood Strategy,
supporting the establishment of a Downtown Community group, and
partnering in the development of and co-leading a Downtown Jane’s Walk.
Several other items first require the Committee to hear presentations from different City
departments and other agencies (e.g., Waterloo Regional Police Services, Downtown Kitchener
Business Improvement Area). Once Committee members are more informed about existing
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initiatives, they will be better able to identify any potential role in those initiatives and discuss
moving forward to address their identified priorities. These items include:
Supporting “clean streets” initiatives
Promoting security and prevention through the physical environment
Marketing and “branding” of downtown
Vandalism at bus shelters and safety at the GRT terminal
Youth engagement in safety and crime prevention efforts
The items on the work plan fall generally into three different approaches to the work to be
undertaken by the Committee: community planning; programming and policy development; and,
education and awareness building. For example the Jane’s Walk (see Appendix A), an event to
encourage community members to explore and learn about their city, takes a programming
approach, while developing a city-wide ‘Safe Neighbourhood’ strategy (see Appendix A) takes a
community planning approach.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
The work plan initiatives and actions items fall under three of the community priorities as
identified in the City of Kitchener Strategic Plan:
Quality of Life;
Downtown; and,
Leadership & Community Engagement.
The two initiatives that fall under the community priority of Quality of Life, address the strategic
direction “Nurture a Sense of Pride and Community”, through: (1) the development of a strategic
approach to the City’s work in building healthy, inclusive, safe and thriving neighbourhoods, and
(2) supporting a clean, safe and pleasing appearance to the downtown core (see Appendix A).
A majority of the priorities identified by the Committee fall under the community priority to focus
on the Downtown, and most of the Work Plan falls under the strategic direction of “Perception
and Reality” (see Appendix A). Several of the Work Plan initiatives emphasize increasing the
sense of safety through revitalization and through changing negative perceptions of the
downtown. For example, the Jane’s Walk brings community members downtown to explore
what makes a safe and healthy downtown and become familiar with the arts, culture, events,
community services, and safety-related initiatives in the downtown core. Also, the establishment
of a Downtown Community Group supports community building and cohesion downtown, while
addressing specific concerns in particular neighbourhoods supports overall safety downtown.
Both of these initiatives address the strategic direction “Downtown as a place to live!!!”.
The Committee has also identified youth engagement as a priority area for the coming year,
which falls under the community priority of Leadership and Community Engagement.
Specifically, the strategic direction, “Hand it to the youth!”, is addressed through the
Committee’s commitment to foster opportunities for youth engagement and the development of
youth leadership.
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FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A. The programs and activities of this Advisory Committee are supported by an existing
budget.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
The Work Plan includes several initiatives that engage community members to various degrees,
including informing, consulting, collaborating and entrusting.
All of the initiatives suggested by the Committee involve some level of shared information, in
that many require the Safe and Healthy Advisory Committee to hear presentations from City
departments and community agencies before moving forward.
The development of a ‘Safe Neighbourhood’ strategy will require consulting with the community
to ensure its fit with community needs, collaborating with various community agencies and
stakeholders in its development, and informing the community upon completion.
With regard to the Jane’s Walk, specific community members are collaborating with the
Committee to plan and develop the event, but have also been entrusted to lead sections of the
walk itself. The community at large will be informed of the event through both the City of
Kitchener’s and the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council’s social media outlets, as well
as through the Jane’s Walk website itself.
A Downtown Community Group is rooted in collaboration and entrusting. Establishing the group
will require informing the community of the Committee’s intent to do so, consulting with the
community about its needs, then collaborating with the community to establish the group and
entrusting them with its direction.
CONCLUSION:
The draft Work Plan has been attached to the report as Appendix ‘A’ and the Committee is
requesting Council’s endorsement of the recommendation above.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
Carla Ladd, CAO
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