Volunteers in Teeny Tiny Places

Transcription

1 ROMA Speaks! January 21-23, 2018 Volunteers in Teeny Tiny Places

2 Township of Leeds & 1000 Islands (TLTI) Population about 9500 No central town ; all settlement areas are small hamlets; none bigger than about 500 people (Lansdowne, Rockport, Lyndhurst & Seeley s Bay) Geographically spread out; from Rideau Canal to St. Lawrence River; between Kingston and Brockville Rural, tourism, historic Hamlets each have unique identities, challenges, and assets No major employers, assessment almost entirely residential, very modest growth, limited municipal economic development capacity

3 Mayor Joe Baptista: -First term mayor -Media and events background; volunteer involvement with youth projects -Entered office aware of frustrations of village volunteer groups, as well as time & capacity challenges of municipal staff

4 Rural volunteerism culture is alive and well Local groups take high degree of ownership of their villages Local assets exist (money raised, physically built) due to volunteers Some might call them uppity Some volunteers inspired by protecting tradition Some want new services and new approaches Dynamic diversity of views; high expectations of Council & staff Biggest critics, but best assets for small rural communities

5 Not their first rodeo. The 4 village revitalization groups in TLTI were well established by 2014; had begun collaborating on their own in 2011 Each hamlet has unique assets and identities (e.g Islands heritage vs. Rideau Canal & back lake fishing and cottage country, vs. landlocked agricultural service centre close to #401 & international bridge) Four groups have shared AND differing interests, talented members, highly independent Volunteers often have more continuity and knowledge of issues than either staff or council

6 Credible voices The groups all practice good governance (annual public meetings, transparent finances, regular communications with hamlet area residents) Impressive Local Skills Banks -Lawyers -Designers -Lobbyists -Planners -Historians -Business Owners -Administrators -Fundraisers -Artists -Gardeners -Accountants -Safety Experts -Writers & Storytellers The groups build bridges between long time and newer residents Revitalization volunteers bring talent, time and fundraising skills to process sometimes with expertise/time beyond that of municipal staff The groups are NOT created/managed by Township

7 Challenging voices These groups are very focused on village improvements/economic revitalization - and not necessarily concerned with other routine municipal responsibilities These groups can be impatient, critical and influential These groups use their talents to raise $, to showcase heritage assets, to create events to draw visitors and new residents, and to develop NEW assets

8 Our experimental approach Creation of PEER Committee of Council (The Partnerships for Economic Enhancements and Revitalization Committee) includes community-based groups who are interested in community revitalization and sustainable economic growth Leaders of four hamlet groups, two local Chambers of Commerce, Fair Board and local UNESCO Biosphere Reserve NGO; plus cross appointment of head of Council s Economic Development Committee to build linkages Chaired by Mayor with CAO in attendance; senior leadership presence elevates issues to cross departmental focus,.e. not JUST about Public Works, Planning, Budget, Recreation or Econ Development groups have cross cutting interests

9 What s working/what s not so far Groups appreciate direct access to Mayor and CAO Groups have more clarity of path to get matters elevated to Council agenda Mutual understanding of one another s circumstances and respective priorities is growing On the other hand Still squabble about municipal uniformity vs. individual village identity Frustrations when staff can t meet desired service standards Meetings are significant time/travel commitment for staff AND volunteers

10 Key Learnings to Date 1. Local volunteer leadership should be respected as valued partners/peers just as important to the municipality as provincial reps, investors, etc. 2. Don t get overly hung up on municipal boundaries/uniformity local hamlets do have unique brands/cultures, and their local sense of place may well cross administrative borders; figure out what is a shared/in common and do it together - AND allow individualism to continue where it makes sense 3. Council and staff should provide more clarity about how the municipal process works, when and how to get in budget pipeline, and information about competing priorities for $ and staff time; mutual education about one another s perspectives/roles goes a long way 4. Over time, some operating rules/ MOUs/might be helpful (happy to hear of examples from other places), but by and large it is face to face/in person contact, consistently, that helps improve trust and yields improvements

11 Volunteers = events, affordability, quality of life!

12 Our PEER Committee is a work in progress Thank you!