Ahead of the new year the City of Victoria has outlined its own resolutions in the draft Strategic Plan for the next four years, and in the
Among the eight objectives for 2019-2022, the draft includes affordable housing, reconciliation and Indigenous relations, health and well-being, environmental and climate leadership, transportation and livable neighbourhoods.
Those objectives add up to nearly 180 actions, at least 62 of which are slated for 2019.
Reconciliation
For reconciliation and Indigenous relations, council will create and begin a mandatory training program for council and city staff, engage in reconciliation dialogues and find B次元官网网址渁ppropriate contextB次元官网网址� for the Sir John A. MacDonald statue. Ongoing actions may include working with the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations to complete the Longhouse in Beacon Hill Park, establish a reburial site and support the restoration of Indigenous place names.
READ MORE:
Housing
Next year could see the creation of rental-only zoning, tiny homes legally renting backyard space for , and a definition of . The city will also look at the property it owns in search of possible locations for more emergency shelter spaces and affordable housing sites.
Health, well-being and a welcoming city
City staff have been working with task forces to create strategies for a Trans Inclusion Policy and an Accessibility Framework. Two more task forces will be formed to address a Seniors Strategy and a Mental Health and Addictions Strategy.
The city will also adopt accessible parking standards for on and off-street parking.
READ MORE:
Environmental and Climate Leadership
The city wants to strengthen the Tree Protection Bylaw and create an Urban Forest Masterplan. Over the next four years, all of the garden beds B次元官网网址� aside from the hanging baskets and Beacon Hill Park B次元官网网址� will be re-naturalized. The city will also encourage private developments to use food-bearing plants and native species.
It would also B次元官网网址� while considering the needs of people who require them B次元官网网址� in 2019, followed by single-use coffee cups and takeout containers in 2020.
READ MORE:
Other initiatives include Mayor Lisa Helps considering amalgamating police services for the region, and cleaning up the harbour and steward waterways after VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Inner Harbour was named the
Sustainable Transportation
The City wants to offer free transit to youth 18 and under, and has considered to cover this cost. Council also wants to advocate for late night bus service, and subsidized bus passes for low-income seniors.
Council also wants to advocate for a commuter rail and inter-city rail system along the E&N railway system B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址榳ithout delay.B次元官网网址�
Speed limits on local neighbourhood streets and more ridesharing or B次元官网网址渇loating carB次元官网网址� services may come to town.
Strong, Liveable Neighbourhoods
City council wants to open up Government Street to pedestrians, and review the city noise bylaw.
Council also wants to work with the Greater Victoria Public Library to provide library services in the north end of the city, with the possibility of a new branch.
READ MORE:
The City will also finalize its and funding strategy, and further develop an emergency preparedness and seismic upgrade program.
The public can give feedback on the Draft Strategic Plan at the Strategic Plan Engagement Summit on Jan. 19, 2019 between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
The event will take place at the Victoria Conference Centre, and anyone interested can register to attend at .
People can also take an about the draft Strategic Plan and draft Financial Plan at victoria.ca until Sunday, Jan. 20.
READ MORE:
@KeiliBartlett
keili.bartlett@blackpress.ca
Like us on and follow us on
