McKELLAR TWP. - McKellar joined the Regional Economic Development Advisory Committee (REDAC) this month.
With its new membership, McKellar helped set the committee's 2012 goals last week during a strategic planning session. The township agreed to join the committee earlier this month after sitting in on three meetings.
REDAC started in 2007 as a joint effort between Parry Sound, Seguin, and McDougall with private business people to encourage economic development in the region. Carling joined this summer after just two of the of three trial meetings it was allotted alongside McKellar.
"It was an excellent process," said McKellar Coun. Tamara Black. “Our Economic Development Commission kept everyone informed and did their due diligence as we were contemplating joining REDAC, which in the end our council voted unanimously to join.”
McKellar Reeve Peter Hopkins will represent the township at REDAC meetings.
"No municipality can be an island unto itself if it wants to prosper, create and retain jobs," he said in a press release on the decision to join REDAC. “We are looking forward to our new relationship."
New municipal involvement has rejuvenated the committee's private-sector members, said coordinator Kirsten LeDrew.
"They seem excited and eager that someone is showing an interest and see the benefit from what they're doing," said LeDrew. "We've been plucking along for a couple years now and people are coming to them now to ask questions and join."
REDAC chair and local businessman Jim Beatty said that the addition of McKellar is "significant and most welcome".
“The success of REDAC as an area economic development committee will in large be determined by the partnerships created at the municipal level as well as those created between the public and private sector," he said in a press release.
With the two new municipal members comes an additional $30,000 for REDAC’s operating budget. That increases REDAC's budget to $105,000.
The three founding municipalities will continue to cover the original $75,000 operating budget.
The budget process starts at the end of the month after next year's goals are approved by the board.
2012 goals
Through the strategic planning session, REDAC members chose the following areas to focus on in 2012: marketing, jointly marketing similar services such as marinas; people, including immigration and youth recruitment; development ready lands; community, including educating potential employees; and technology, including affordable high speed Internet.