‘A PHASE OF UNCERTAINTY’
BUSINESS CBRM mayor not happy with province.
The mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality says he’s disappointed the Nova Scotia Department of Municipal Affairs is trying to fix something that’s not broken.
Cecil Clarke said the CBRM’s decision to move to a regional enterprise network for economic development was driven by the Nova Scotia Department of Municipal Affairs not the municipality.
“I’m disappointed Department of Municipal Affairs officials continue to create a situation of uncertainty when we already have a model of success in place.”
Clarke said the CBRM was happy with the performance of Business Cape Breton as its economic development agency.
“As the designated economic development agency of the CBRM, the outcomes speak for themselves,” he said.
The irony, Clarke said, is they are leaving a model that was highly effective in terms of outcomes, dollar value and return on investment to now be replaced with an uncertain model.
“For half a million dollars or less (Business Cape Breton has) been providing a full, effective service and that’s a plus,” he said.
“We’ll now enter a phase of uncertainty with no priorities and outcomes expected and that’s unfortunate.”
Funding for Business Cape Breton’s economic development relationship with the CBRM ended March 31.
On April 4, the Post reported the CBRM will be issuing a request for proposals in terms of reference of what they want to get done in economic development for the year, specific with tasks and deliverables.
In a story in the Post on Saturday, Business Cape Breton chairman Parker Rudderham said the organization will not bid on the request for proposals because they don’t believe in the regional enterprise network program.
Rudderham said as it stands now Business Cape Breton is an economic development agency for CBRM that ceases to exist, and this will basically end BCB as it’s known effective Friday.
However, Rudderham said Business Cape Breton’s volunteer board will stay together and will work on charting its course for the future.
Clarke said he has reached out to Business Cape Breton.
The mayor said he wanted to confirm BCB’s decision and get an understanding of the issues they have with the process in place as well as not having an arrangement in place for funding.
Clarke said he realizes the Business Cape Breton board made a decision as people who are responsible, accountable and viable for the operations of BCB. However, he feels this will impact projects BCB had underway.
“I’m very disappointed because it means we now have potential clients that will have to be given their files back as there’s no longer a capacity to deal with assisting them as we have assisted them with great success,” he said.
“There’s a void now and that void even with any new structure is going to take time to get done,” he said.
Clarke said council is meeting with the Department of Municipal Affairs today and the regional enterprise network is on the agenda.
“It’s very much a regrettable situation and I’m hoping they’ll have some answers for council in terms of meeting with them of how this proposed model is somehow going to work better.”
Clarke said he has been critical of the regional enterprise network process which has received mixed reviews across the province. He said he would rather see Municipal Affairs work with the CBRM building a model of success by expanding its capacity in scope while at the same time maintaining service levels and community initiatives of being a priority.
“Ultimately, we’ll look for flexibility from the minister over a model for the region and hopefully they might reconsider something that is more flexible, jointly negotiated to better meet the needs of the citizens of the CBRM and improve economic outcome.”
Clarke is also hoping for dialogue between Business Cape Breton and the Cape Breton Partnership as the two leading economic development entities together would be dynamic.
The Cape Breton Partnership would be able to fulfil the strategic function, market information from an economist point of view and BCB has hands on direct outcomes and business services, he added.
“I regret that we have the situation we find ourselves in today but as we go forward there may be an opportunity when the process goes forward where BCB and the Cape Breton Partnership can do a joint submission,” he said.
“I think it would be synergy if those two great forces of the community came together but that’s something they’ll have to discuss.”