Missing the Mark: The CAO's plans for Hartz Point and land off the 103.

The Chief Administrative Officer described plans for Hartz Point and two Highway 103 properties. However, the proposal omits key components of sound municipal planning—such as community engagement, clear objectives, and performance metrics.

During the council meeting held on October 8th, 2025, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) presented plans concerning Hartz Point and two properties located off Highway 103.

The following table outlines essential components that should be included in a municipal plan for such a project; however, none of these key elements are currently incorporated into the CAO's proposal.

Clear Purpose	Defines the long-term goals and how the project supports broader municipal objectives (e.g. sustainability, growth, equity)
Community-Centered	Reflects the values, needs, and aspirations of residents through consultation and engagement.
Defined Scope	Specifies what’s included and excluded to avoid mission creep.
Detailed Timeline	Includes milestones, deadlines, and dependencies to track progress
Resource Allocation	Outlines budget, staffing, and infrastructure needs with realistic estimates
Data-Driven	Uses demographic, environmental, and economic data to justify decisions.
Performance Metrics	Establish Key Performance Indicators to measure success and adjust course if needed.
Public Accessibility	Makes the plan easy to understand and available for public review
Stakeholder Input	Incorporates feedback from council, staff, residents, and local organizations.
Conflict Resolution Mechanisms	Anticipates disagreements and outlines how they’ll be addressed.
Contingency Planning	Prepares for delays, funding changes, or policy shifts.
Adaptive Framework	Allows for iterative updates based on new data or community feedback
Risk Assessment	Identifies potential risks and mitigation strategies

Comments

Nov 16, 2025 6:52 PM

Unfortunately par for the course, I'm not surprised. It's like the wind turbines, council really didn't have a clue what they were, what the impact would be not just on the environment but on the residents of Sandy Point, Jordan Bay and Ferry. When this was pointed out exhaustively they went into bunker mode, here we are again with a $1.4M purchase and now what do we do with it? They don't have a clue again.