Task force looks for made-in-Mulmur approach to economic development
Mulmur Township is looking for a homegrown approach to economic development.
A special committee of council that is advising council on planning, promotion and heritage in addition to economic development has set up a task force to go out into the community to hear ideas and gather information.
“The only way we are going to find something that works for Mulmur is by listening to the people,” said task force chair MaryAnn Lowry.
The goal is to emerge from the process next year with recommendations for a 10- to 15-year economic development plan.
The task force is made up of seven volunteers with professional experience in agriculture, business, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, law, real estate, education and social services. Since June, members have been conducting interviews with councillors, township staff and business owners and, beginning this month, they have been hosting focus groups, open to the general public.
The goal of the committee is to come up with a plan to grow Mulmur Township’s tax base in order to increase revenue to pay for the services residents desire and create jobs.
The current tax base is made up mainly of residential, with commercial amounting to less than two per cent.
“It’s about paying for that gap that all rural communities are facing. Mulmur is not alone in this,” said task force vice chair Katharin Cowan.
Lowry said there is a discrepancy between the municipality’s income and the basic costs of service people would like to have access to.
They say one thing that has come up again and again as a hindrance for businesses locating in Mulmur is the lack of high speed internet.
And people are looking to the municipality for solutions.
Cowan and Lowry say there are many different perspectives at play in Mulmur.
While there used to be relatively few interest groups there are now many advocacy groups and the task force is asking, how can those groups be unified toward a common goal?
The process is about starting a conversation.
“If nothing else comes of this, at least people will have had the opportunity to know what’s going on,” said Cowan.
This month the task force held focus groups on agriculture, attracting investment, branding and marketing, community building, land use and infrastructure.
Focus groups continue with sessions on small business development and tourism on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and another tourism session from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4. All sessions are held at Mulmur’s town hall, located at 758070 2nd Line East.
A second round of public consultation is planned for the spring, when the task force will share the ideas it has heard. People will have a third chance to comment later next year once the recommendations have been developed.
Anyone wishing to have input is asked to call 705-466-3341 to request an interview or submit comments to info@mulmur.ca.
