Newmarket council plans to complete a downtown pedestrian-only pilot, the Mulock Park and a new multi-use path before its new term ends in 2026.
Those objectives and more were part of the council’s strategic vision discussions Feb. 27. Councillors spent the day determining what priorities and projects with which it should proceed in the term ahead. The priorities council chose included economic development, Mulock Park, customer service, inclusivity and environmental sustainability.
Newmarket Mayor John Taylor said they have to factor in the difficult economic times. But he said the council has some advantages with how well it works together.
“I’m very excited about this term. We have a lot of big, exciting projects," Taylor said. "And we got a community that’s engaged and ambitious as we are.”
The strategic priorities will be worked on further by staff and council before being finalized and launched in the spring. The document will be a guide for the municipality over the next few years.
Council narrowed down its priorities over the day. With respect to customer service as a priority, Councillor Christina Bisanz said it is central to what the town does.
“If someone doesn’t feel their garbage is picked up on time or the community isn’t safe for them, that’s how they perceive living here,” Bisanz said. “Whatever we can do to enhance responsiveness to the needs of the residents and the businesses who are present here is critical.”
Economic development is also set to be a focal point. Councillor Bob Kwapis said the town needs to attract and retain people and avoid a situation where people start moving away.
“Ensure we attract people, stay vibrant,” Kwapis said. “Focused on making sure it’s a livable sustainable and flourishing municipality.”
Within those priorities were a variety of tentative goals for the term. That includes a downtown pedestrianization pilot, something pitched by the municipality in the last term, but then put on hold.
Other objectives on the list include the completion of the Mulock multi-use path, a climate action plan, an up-to-date active transportation plan and a diversity, equity and inclusion lens on all corporate initiatives.
Council also discussed the possibilities of rebranding, as well as changing its vision of being a community “well beyond the ordinary.” The latter was floated in the last strategic priorities list in 2019 but not ultimately enacted.
Bisanz said she would like to see it gone and that could come with a rebranding exercise.
“Ordinary is such a limiting word,” she said. “But if we’re rebranding ourselves to be a hub for arts and culture, that should be reflected in the community vision.”
Councillor Jane Twinney said council would have to be mindful of the costs of a rebranding exercise in the current economic times.
Ultimately, council and staff settled on exploring the vision and a possible rebranding sometime in June or beyond, after the strategic priorities are finalized.
Staff will work on how to implement the priorities over the next several weeks before the strategic priorities are launched in May.
“These are not all final decisions or set in stone,” Taylor said. “But they are what launch us forward.”
