By David F. Rooney
After more than a year in development, City Council has received the newly completed Revelstoke Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP).
Similar to the Community Development Action Plans (CDAPs) of the past, the ICSP is a document that will help the City plot its way forward on a number of different fronts.
Co-led by Revelstoke’s Cindy Pearce of Mountain Labyrinths Inc. and Peter Russell of HB Lanark — Golder of Vancouver, the ICSP presents a reliable and relevant look at what Revelstoke is doing well and what needs still to be accomplished both now and in the years to come. The ICSP focuses on the community’s socio-economic, environmental and cultural futures.
Revelstoke has a history of creating similar and very successful plans. As in the past, with the development of the CDAPs, the ICSP process involved a lot of community participation.
“Revelstoke’s history of collaboration and planning impressed the consultants on this project,” Pearce told City councillors as she unveiled the ICSP for them last Tuesday afternoon.
Framed in three parts the plan takes the long view as it addresses the issues that confront the City and the broader.
Part 1 is entitled The Sustainability Framework. It looks at the trends that Revelstoke is facing. Based on these trends it identifies 10 sustainability priorities and a number of strategies to focus community efforts to achieve long-term benefits. It also recommends how the City, government agencies, community organizations, businesses and households can work together to implement that framework for the best results.
Part 2, The State of Sustainability Report, explores what Revelstoke is doing well, and what improvements are needed on the path towards long-term sustainability.
Part 3, The Sustainable Community Action Plan, prioritizes Revelstoke’s next steps to enhance its sustainability. The plan brings together actions from City and community planning documents as well as new ideas and prioritizes them using community input and technical assessments.
These priorities are “the big, important moves that Revelstoke needs to take to become an even better place to live, work and play,” Pearce said.
In a report to Council about the ICSP, Community Economic Development Director Alan Mason said that if Council decides to approve the ICSP, there could be significant financial implications for the city if they move ahead in working toward many of the goals and objectives for which the city is identified as the lead agency.
However, he assured Council he is “looking for external funding for the ICSP’s projects.”
Pearce also suggested that the City should sponsor an annual community review of the ICSP’s implementation.
That may well happen but the plan is now being sent to the City’s various official committees for scrutiny and comment.
Please click here to read the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan.
