FOCUS Kingston Progress Report
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The following is the Executive Summary from the 2000 - 2006 Progress Report. You can dowlownd the entire report using thes link at right.
The intent of the 2000 - 2006 Progress Report is to provide an overview of the development of the FOCUS Kingston Community Strategic Plan and to provide a status update for each of the projects identified in the plan. It is envisioned that this summary document will provide a foundation from which to build the next cycle of community planning.
The FOCUS Kingston Community Strategic Plan was initiated by City Council in 1998. To facilitate the development of a Community Strategic Plan, City Council approved the development of a Community Based Steering Committee. Public consultation included focus groups, table talks, community forums and staff forums. The focus group sessions were co-hosted by the Community Based Steering Committee and 15 individual community organizations and were organized on 15 separate topic matters. Through this effort, over 1000 City residents and City staff provided input into a 10 year vision for the community.
FOCUS KINGSTON 12 PRIORITY AREAS
- Access - improved access to information and services
- Culture - arts, recreation, parks and heritage
- Economic Prosperity - a balanced approach to community prosperity
- Infrastructure - long-range infrastructure planning
- Environment - clean air, clean water, and clean land
- Local Governance - "Getting Our House in Order"
- Planning - the Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan
- Affordable Housing Strategy - affordable and accessible housing
- Support For Volunteers - recognition and support for community service
- Promotion of Neighbourhood Associations - community building blocks
- Our Young People - our future
- Our Elders - addressing the needs of our elders
Through Council direction, it was determined that an emphasis would be placed on the development and implementation of action plans for priority areas #1 to #8 and that priority areas #9 to #12 would be addressed within the life of the plan. In 2001, a 'Technical' Committee [later to be renamed 'Implementation Committee'] made up of City and community 'champions' for each of the priority areas (#1 to #8) was formed. The mandate of this committee was to develop action plans to realize the mandates of each of these areas.
In 2004, the newly formed City Council established strategic priorities to guide the organization from 2005 to 2007. Based upon the priority areas in the FOCUS Kingston Community Strategic Plan, Council decided to focus efforts on Infrastructure, and Recreation and Culture, followed by tangible progress in Economic Prosperity, the Environment, and Affordable Housing. From this exercise, the following "Group of 7" priority projects were established:
- Ravensview Sewage Plant Upgrade
- Large Venue Entertainment Centre [later to be renamed 'Regional Sports and Entertainment Centre]
- Multiplex
- Widening of John Counter Blvd.
- Grand Theater Retrofit
- Market Square
- K&P trail
The mandates of priority areas #1 to #8 and the 'Group of 7' projects are predominately executed by the City while priority areas #9 to #12 are predominately community lead initiatives. The attached tables provide a summary of the status of each of these initiatives. Within the report the vision for each of the priority areas is provided and the deliverables and project status is provided in greater detail.
