What We’re Doing
Creating a Municipal Sustainability Plan (MSP)
The Town of Olds has partnered with the Olds Institute for Community & Regional Development to create a long term Municipal Sustainability Plan (MSP).
The MSP is managed by the Olds Advisory Group for Sustainable Living. Public meetings held in May and June 2007 have encouraged citizens to be involved in the process from the beginning. Municipal Sustainability Planning is an opportunity for municipalities to look long-term at the communities they want and take proactive steps to move there. It is an opportunity to engage citizens in a dialogue about what they value about their communities and what they want them to look like in the future. The MSP is an opportunity to provide an outlet for the wisdom and expertise of community members to discover innovative solutions that address social, cultural, economic, environmental, and governance challenges today while leaving a positive legacy for future generations.
The AUMA's go forward strategy and interpretation of sustainability is based on the premise that municipalities should only invest in initiatives that make economic sense today and that move the community in a step-by-step manner towards a future where a strong social fabric weaves through communities ensuring that basic human needs are met, a vibrant cultural scene breeds creativity to drive innovation, and environment issues are resolved. The AUMA's Municipal Sustainability Planning initiative focuses on providing municipalities with the tools and resources they need to effectively develop and implement municipal sustainability plans.
The AUMA recognizes that there can be a gap between communities having access to tools and resources, and taking action to utilize those tools. This is especially a concern when the issues and processes are relatively new and people are unsure how to successfully implement them. The pilot project allows us to provide additional support so that municipalities can bridge the gap and hopefully have a successful experience with the tools. Additionally, the successes, challenges and lessons learned by these communities will be shared with AUMA members to build a greater understanding of how Alberta municipalities can successfully move forward with sustainability planning.
- For more information on the Olds Municipal Sustainability Plan, contact Corporate Affairs at Town Office.
Getting Public Input
The Town of Olds and the Olds Institute for Community & Regional Development (OICRD) have been working together to develop a public engagement strategy, based on a generational approach to municipal sustainability planning. Full-day public input sessions were held the following dates:
| 12 May 2007 |
Ages 30 - 45 |
| 17 May 2007 |
High School Students grades 8 - 12 |
| 26 May 2007 |
Ages 46-59 |
| 31 May 2007 |
Ages 60+ |
| 2 June 2007 |
Ages 16 - 29 |
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