As the future comes hurtling towards us with rapid changes in the ways we work, technology and the economy, keeping up is difficult. Planning Squamish’s future will require a profound understanding of collaborative decision making, evidence-informed policy and deeper partnerships with higher levels of government.
The future is coming at us faster than we can react. Reactionary decision making without planning has not succeeded. Squamish, over a period of the last 20 years has not planned well. Previous councils have run on lean budgeting models, and expensive studies that have not been used. We have engaged the public in grand planning schemes, but not heeded advice, nor budgeted for outcomes.
We have not been transparent about our inability to finance our plans. Brennan Park is a perfect example of this. We have gone to the public with surveys and outreach. With no economic modelling except an architectural rendering, we ask the public if they want a new rink, arts facilities, and a pool. These goals are laudable enough, but we just don’t have the ability to pay for them. We have engaged the public without weighing these decisions as a priority setting exercise. We have not been transparent with our real estate strategy document that shows a deficit of more than $130 million dollars. Asking before an election? Priceless. We all love dreaming, but financing dreams requires a deeper understanding of municipal economics.
Our local municipal budget allocates scarce resources that are collected from property taxes and tries to address our future needs and fund vital public services. We have not saved enough, nor taken in enough development cost charges to fund community needs. We have been reactionary in our land use planning, and not considered our economic future. Our social resources have created partnerships and are building homeless shelters to pick up the pieces. We still have no housing authority to manage social units and rentals. It is no longer possible to rely on our not for profit sector or volunteer boards to manage the holes we are creating in our social fabric.
With rapid growth, our decisions can no longer be reactive. Planning and budgeting for expansion of our population can no longer be reliant on just the homeowner or the small business person but must involve innovative ways of financing. Partnerships. Land amalgamation. Putting all of our social and market housing, economy, and services downtown is no longer possible with one road in and out. We need better future planning. We have to think outside of promises, election terms, and handshakes. If we want a livable community, we must plan for the future.
