After months of discussion at the economic development committee level, a detailed description for an economic sustainability coordinator - not to be confused with an economic development officer -was endorsed this week by Squamish council.
According to the job description contained in Tuesday's (May 17) council package, the purpose of the position is:
"The economic sustainability coordinator (ESC) is responsible as the principal District of Squamish promoter and contact for business development, local employment development, and events maximization through the facilitation, promotion and attraction of investment into the Squamish economy."
The ESC will report directly to the community services general manager, currently Cameron Chalmers, supporting the GM in the execution of various development initiatives, collaborate with business improvement associations, the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Squamish, facilitating business development and maximizing economic development opportunities through the coordination of local events.
"The position is well-detailed in the economic development strategy that came forward and was proposed by the economic development committee, which was chaired by Coun. Lalli and is made up of three members of council and four members of the public," said Mayor Greg Gardner.
"We funded and retained a consultant to bring forward the strategy. The detailed strategy was endorsed by council and now the position will go ahead."
The strategy focuses on three different phases and has specific benchmarks set within each phase.
Phase 1, "looking inward," focuses on ensuring Squamish retains and enhances the businesses and sectors that are here now.
It includes a business retention and enhancement program predicated on understanding and addressing issues facing Squamish businesses, aligning DOS policies and procedures with an economic development focus, coordinating economic development efforts and establishing a system for effectively responding to inquiries.
Phase 2, "connecting inward to outward," leverages Squamish's existing businesses to prepare for business expansion and attraction. The phase includes programs designed to strengthen existing businesses, communicate successes, and establish partnerships with key organizations.
Phase 3, "looking outward," is designed to complement existing businesses with efforts to bring in synergistic new businesses. The phase focuses on identifying potential new businesses, and includes marketing efforts to attract those that will complement existing businesses.
Gardner said the detailed economic sustainability strategy is "what gives council the confidence to move forward."
"Not only is there that quite specific plan for economic development, but there's also now a detailed job description," he said.
Council approved the refined job description during the regular council meeting on Tuesday after discussion took place the week before at the Committee of the Whole.
Most councillors were supportive of the job description overall, though a few wording disparities were identified and changed.
Coun. Corinne Lonsdale said she wasn't sure there was enough emphasis put on what most residents consider Squamish's most dire need - jobs.
"Is there any way we can implement a type of job initiative program, where the economic sustainability coordinator would get some sort of commission for every job he or she brings in?" Lonsdale asked.
Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Ramsay said it was an interesting idea, but would likely be problematic and shift the focus from the carefully laid-out plan.
"Job creation isn't part of Phase 1 and if that initiative is there, the employee will naturally veer in that direction," he said, adding that who is responsible for what job is always difficult to determine and it's nearly impossible to prove which jobs would have arrived without the coordinator's efforts.
According to several residents who attended last month's town hall meeting on the topic, a new economic development position has been a long time coming.
During that meeting resident Larry Murray and Inside Edge president David Crewson criticized the district's lack of focus on economic development.
In May 2009, council voted to terminate the business development department and business lead position, and there has been no replacement position since then.
In response to council and community concern that the position is similar to former economic development officers, Gardner said the primary difference is that council and staff have taken the time to establish a plan.
"We can hold that individual accountable is one side of it, but also, that individual has some direction to move forward," he said. "I think in the past there have been, perhaps, unrealistic expectations of economic development officers."
Gardner said he thought previous EDOs were doomed to fail.
"In many cases I thought they were set up for failure, that many people in the community thought that hiring an EDO would resolve all the economic development issues in the community," he said.
"Economic development is larger than one person in the community."
The district is accepting applications and according to Chalmers, at least one person has already applied.
Downtown entrance upgrades on hold
District staff received extensive input from community members regarding potential improvements to the entranceway, with 95 per cent of respondents saying the downtown Squamish entranceway needed improvement.
The downtown Squamish entrance improvements report, prepared by consultant Dan McRae, addressed support, purpose, locations, forms, themes, materials and budget for those improvements.
Close to 70 per cent of respondents consider both built and natural forms (manmade structures and trees and plants) as the most appropriate forms of improvement and when asked to rate the level of support for different types of upgrades, landscaping was most popular, followed by lighting, directional signage and seasonal/festival signage.
However, when asked to rate the priority items, respondents said replacing aging infrastructure within the downtown took precedence over making improvements to the entrance. Transit and recreation were rated third and fourth, respectively.
Staff recommended that council defer a decision on which suggestions should be implemented until the Multi-Module Transportation Plan is completed because it could directly impact entrance improvements. That motion was carried unanimously. The transportation plan should be completed this summer.
Smoke Bluffs Park bylaw in works
Squamish's Smoke Bluffs are a significant community asset and a recognized regional, national and international rock climbing destination and should be protected through legislation, a district committee told council.
Although dedicated as a greenway in the Official Community Plan, this could be changed by a council vote without notice, the Smoke Bluffs Park Advisory Committee said in a report to council.
The committee is requesting that a park dedication bylaw, under the Community Charter, be passed so that the park dedication cannot be changed without a referendum.
Gardner suggested council refer the item to staff to create a bylaw to be brought before council. Such a bylaw requires a two-thirds vote of council but not require a public hearing, although Coun. Paul Lalli suggested having a public consultation nonetheless.
"As it stands, the Smoke Bluff is designated in the OCP as a park, but this would acknowledge it at a higher level," Chalmers said.
The motion for staff to create a bylaw was carried unanimously.
