The Town of Oliver recently underwent a strategic planning session to determine what path it will take in the future.
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As Town council tackles strategic planning, we’d like to hear what residents have to say about what they think the priorities should be in Oliver.
Send an email to [email protected] or visit our Facebook page.
In the meantime, we’ve come up with our own list of strategies that we think would make Oliver a better community to live and work in.
1. get tough on illegal camping during summer months. Some transients flout our bylaws by camping illegally on the hike and bike trail, leaving mounds of garbage in their wake and giving Oliver a bad name. Many local families won’t dare have a picnic in Lion’s Park because it’s overrun with transients. Perhaps we need to “take back the park.”
2. Implement a “good neighbours bylaw. It’s time to put an end to complaint-driven enforcement in this community. But council needs to enforce its bylaws in a timely manner instead of letting infractions drag on for months.
3. Organize an annual “youth day” in Oliver. Council should host a day for local youth to hear the needs and wants of resident teenagers. Give a group of teens the chance to host a council meeting on youth issues in Oliver.
4. Strike an economic development committee and make it work: For some reason economic development committees in Oliver don’t last long or tend to peter out before the climax. We need a strong vision (set of goals) and people who can get things done without turmoil. Why Oliver doesn’t have an economic development officer is beyond explanation. We have a lot to offer potential new businesses that need a resource to turn to.
5. Be more aggressive in recruiting doctors. People are still having problems finding a family doctor in Oliver, with some residents having to travel outside the community to see a physician. One resident informed the Chronicle that her doctor refused to see her anymore because she missed two appointments. I guess that’s what it feels like playing God. Now the resident must find a new doctor, which is like finding a teardrop in a rainstorm.
