Adrift

Council continues to struggle with its role in the County economy

Two seasons after the County’s economic development officer fled Shire Hall amid council’s second guessing and micromanaging, the department now subsists on a complement of one and a half people. These folks regularly receive conflicting messages about what they are doing, what they should be doing and why. Worse, council seems no further ahead in agreeing what, if anything, the municipality should be doing about stimulating jobs and prosperity in Prince Edward County.

It is not for lack of talking. With the departure of Dan Taylor into the receptive arms of Peterborough, council has had meetings upon meetings—some full-day sessions, some facilitated by experts. They’ve even had meetings to decide how they might organize meetings. Some meetings ended with broadbased agreement, but later collapsed under the weight of their own scrutiny and second thought.

So it was that council chewed over this bone one more time last week.

Last month council emerged from an allday session feeling it had consensus about how to move forward— identifying some key principles and identifying the next steps forward.

These were written down and presented to a committee of council last week for official adoption. After many years of argument and months of haggling, council had agreed on a plan forward. But, alas, it soon became apparent on Thursday that differences that had been papered over in previous sessions continue to fester—indeed, all that seems to have been accomplished in previous meetings is to persuade councillors with very different ideas about the business of developing the local economy that they were on the same page.

“I don’t see a change of direction here,” said Brian Marisett, councillor for Picton. “We are just continuing to spin our wheels.”

Others simply don’t want the County promoting the food and wine sector—instead some, like Sophiasburgh Councillor Terry Shortt, want to see the County pursue industrial and skilled manufacturing jobs—jobs that pay good wages year round.

Some simply don’t understand things they can’t see.

“As a citizen and a representative I want to know more about what this office does,” said Keith MacDonald, Councillor for Hallowell. “I want to be brought up to date.”

Similarly, some like Athol councillor Jamie Forrester insist that the department produce measurable results and benefits.

“I was a manager for many years,” said Forrester. “I got paid for performance. I want this department to show benefits and results.”

Despite the oft-repeated appeal for greater measurability, Forrester and others seem more intent in taking the municipality out of the business of economic development rather than reforming it to gain the clarity and accountiblity he claims to seek.

Marisett wants other agencies including the federal Community Futures Development Corporation to come to council and spell out what they do. The notion is that if there are other folks doing the job—the municipality ought not be doing the same thing.

Planning Commissioner Gerry Murphy, responsible for economic development, assured Marisett that such a meeting was part of the very plan before the committee for consideration. But Marisett, unsatisfied, insisted council conduct the meeting.

“I want council to meet with these folks directly— not staff,” said Marisett.

But not all on council share the view that the County should be subcontracting out the prosperity and economy of this community to the CFDC or other agency. Nor do they all share the notion that 16 members around the council table ought to be dictating the day-to-day business of a department composed of 1.5 staff.

Mayor Peter Mertens mounted a spirited defence of the role of economic development and the folks who have been tasked to manage the department—despite a loss of two key staff and 20 per cent of its budget.

“These folks are working on 30 active files,” said Mertens, “answering questions, providing information and guiding potential investors. I have worked closely with them over the past few months and I can tell you there is more than $100 million of investment on the table—some are tire kickers and won’t amount to anything—but they still need to be managed.

“The work they are doing doesn’t have immediate payback—but it does create real value—value that delivers benefits for years to come. To suggest otherwise is showing disrespect for some very good work.”

It was left to Kevin Gale, councillor for Ameliasburgh, to summarize several months of futility.

“I’m not sure how many all-day sessions we have to sit through,” said a clearly frustrated Gale. “We had an agreement. We had a plan to move forward. Now we are pulling the rug out from under this department.

“My concern is the members of council who want to micro-manage this department. Just because you were a manager somewhere doesn’t qualify you to manage this department. That is not our job. That is what our staff do.”

The committee approved the plan to moveforward but it could not have been at all clear to the two staff sitting in the gallery on Thursday that council had moved any closer in developing a coherent and workable economic development strategy for them to implement.