By rdnewsNOW staff

Public Consultation

Social Master Plan consultation to identify strengths, areas to improve in Lacombe

Oct 19, 2020 | 10:03 AM

The City of Lacombe is in the process of creating a Social Master Plan (SMP), which aims to identify key goals and opportunities to increase social wellness, adaptability, and community success for the next five years.

When implemented, the plan will serve as a road map for city council and administration to guide the use of tax revenue and resources towards initiatives that will benefit Lacombe’s social good.

“The Social Master Plan is an important tool for the City to utilize to help address some of the social issues facing our community,” says Mayor Grant Creasey, in a press release. “Lacombe city council takes great pride in knowing many residents have a high standard of living, and we want to ensure everyone living here has access to a prosperous, happy life. I look forward to seeing how we can use this plan to improve the lives of our neighbours.”

Officials say the City is currently in the first of two phases to build the plan. With the consultant’s help, the first phase will create a scope for the plan, identifying potential focus areas for council’s consideration.

The second phase will again utilize a consultant to research the focus areas more deeply; articulate achievable goals for those areas; identify specific actions for the City or partnering organizations to implement; and set out ways to measure success.

Dec. 10

RDP holds pinning ceremony for graduating nursing students

3h ago

get in the car!

Maps for 2025 Red Deer Christmas Lights tour

6h ago

predictable taxation

Chamber calls Red Deer County's draft budget 'disciplined'

6h ago

Phase 2 will begin in 2021 and will feature opportunities for public engagement and input, which is expected to help build the final document.

The City is working with Moorhouse and Associates Consulting to help create the Social Master Plan’s scope.

To do so, Moorhouse will:

1. Create an initial profile of Lacombe that identifies social strengths, as well as potential needs

2. Create a list of focus areas that are prioritized based on data collected in Step 1

3. Create an SMP Draft Scope which will help forge recommended focus areas

4. Create a final SMP Scope incorporating council’s input, and

5. Submit a proposal to implement Phase 2 based on the scope.

Moorhouse expects to complete Phase 1 by mid-November.

Key to the scoping exercise will be interviews with agencies and organizations throughout Lacombe who serve a social purpose.

This collaboration will help identify the community’s socioeconomic and demographic features, assess current social programs and services; and compare regional, provincial, and national trends relevant to the community.

“Administration looks forward to working with Moorhouse and Associates to help gain a clear understanding of what makes this community special and what challenges we have,” says Director of Community Services Deborah Juch. “By building a well-researched Social Master Plan, City administration will have a playbook to reference when building sustainability in Lacombe,”

Juch adds, “The City of Lacombe looks forward to understanding what makes Lacombe so socially successful, and finding ways to build on that to address any gaps identified.”