City council approves strategic plan for term

Lethbridge City Council has set its strategic goals for the rest of its term and will be focusing on governance review, improved transit efficiency, housing strategy and airport revitalization in the next four years.

Mayor Chris Spearman said council has spent the past five months developing the document.

“We want Lethbridge to be a very liveable and inclusive community,” he said. “We want it to be a very desirable community for people to live in. We want to work with our business community and work with some of the issues they’ve brought to us. And we want to make sure we are listening and engaging all to make sure that Lethbridge is a better place.”

Council approved the Council Strategic Plan during their regular meeting on Monday. The document describes how council will go about achieving five broad goals for this election term (2017 to 2021), including: accountable leadership; financial stewardship and economic prosperity; liveable communities; compassionate community; and people places for all.

In addition, the document sets out plans for council to seek feedback regularly from citizens on community issues; work with business to identify barriers to investment; promote Lethbridge through a community brand; ensure City services, programs and facilities are inclusive; identify housing needs and facilitating proposals that satisfy gaps in the local housing market; establish viable options for a Performing Arts Centre; and work with developers to ensure design of pedestrian-friendly commercial areas.

Council has identified what it sees as a need to have better financial stewardship while striving for greater fiscal management. Spearman said administration has been directed to maintain current service levels while absorbing inflationary increases.

“We’ve also directed them to look at new ways of doing things to increase efficiencies,” he said.

The complete Council Strategic Plan 2017-21 is available at

lethbridge.ca/StrategicPlan.