Town approves recreation and culture needs assessment
By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Town of Strathmore Council approved a $60,000 capital budget request during the March 6 regular meeting, to finance a recreation and culture needs assessment.
The needs assessment is being funded from the 2024 fiscal stabilization reserve. Mark Pretzlaff, director of community and protective services presented the request to council.
“Our recreation master plan is five years old and impacted by COVID-19, and so by conducting a recreation and cultural needs assessment, we will have a better scope of our existing facilities, and any potential future developments that may arise,” he said.
A needs assessment helps to define the current state of a community, and to identify future needs, and potential priority areas.
This type of assessment is a component of planning for future growth, and acts as a supporting document which helps to define the needs and desires of a community, as well as to help determine how to best and responsibly allocate resources.
The Recreation and Culture Master Plan adopted by council in January 2020 replaced the former Quality of Life Master Plan, which had been in operation since 2010. It served as the primary document to guide the town’s decision-making regarding support of local recreational and culture services.
When it was adopted, the 2020 recreation and culture master plan lead to the assessment of the state of the town at the time, and identification of priorities and recommendations for the provision of recreation, active and creative lifestyle opportunities, culture, and services over a 10-year period.
Despite this, as new opportunities arise and priorities shift, a new needs assessment becomes necessary to update information and adjust the town’s plan accordingly.
Coun. Jason Montgomery, following Pretzlaff’s presentation, inquired about what “community accessibility” and “social inclusion” would entail in the context of the new master plan.
“As part of the recreation master plan, community accessibility is defined as the ability of all members of the community to access the facilities (and) amenities without being impeded by factors such as cost and exclusivity,” said Pretzlaff. “The master plan defines social inclusion as the ability of a facility or amenity to have significant positive impact on the ability of all members of the community to take part in the activities, the ability of the facility to encourage and welcome participation from all segments of the community, including those from a wide variety of ethnicities and cultural backgrounds.”
More information regarding the recreation and culture needs assessment is available through the town’s website, as well as via the public meeting minutes posted to the Town’s YouTube channel.