Community Participation, Business Growth Measure Milton's Success

Business start ups and community participation in city events will be measures of the success of Milton's strategic plan, the city's communications director told Mayor Joe Lockwood and City Council on Monday night.

Members of Milton’s Strategic Planning Board presented an overview of the city’s three-year plan during a council work session. The 15 member group is comprised of citizens, city staff and community business leaders.

Milton Communications Director Jason Wright said questions that were posed during strategic planning meetings were:

• Where do we want to be and how will we know when we get there?
• Where are we now?
• What will or may change in our environment?

Carolyn Schwimmer works for RBC bank and represents the business community as part of the strategic planning team. She talked of several strategies including structuring economic growth.

“This one’s close to my heart,” said Schwimmer, as she explained that to create a climate of economic success Milton must plan for substantial growth as well as promote and support local businesses.

Schwimmer also spoke of the importance of actively promoting the rural character of Milton through protection and preservation as well as promoting the equestrian lifestyle.

Jack Flowers is a member of the Milton Horse council and appreciates that the equestrian community is being considered.

“ When you look at where we were five years ago and where we are now we’re very happy that the city is paying attention to us,” says Flowers.

With no mention of senior citizens throughout the evening's presentation, Milton resident Anne Coggins wants to know if they are being considered.

“The majority of our citizens are seniors,” said Coggins.

The public is encouraged to provide input during the public comment period of city hall meetings, something Coggins plans on doing in the future.

Wright said thet proposed strategies included:

• To build lasting relationships that create and maintain a sense of community by strengthening public relations, bolstering community collaboration and encouraging more citizen engagement.
• Provide a responsive and responsible government by providing quality services in a fiscally responsible environment while maximizing our resources as well as satisfaction surveys from citizens, business owners and the equestrian community.

Wright said that success will be measured by charting community participation of city events, noting the number of business start ups and providing an annual citizen survey.

Milton High student Hallie Kitay was attending with two of her classmates for a school assignment.

“It’s pretty cool to know that they are planning for the future,” said Kitay.