THREE RIVERS, P.E.I. – Council is making moves to further unify its region by working with some of its waterfront, sporting centre and community boards.
Jill Walsh, chief administrative officer of Three Rivers, requested a decision on the topic during a committee meeting in Georgetown on Oct. 26. The request was to open discussions with a few boards that have been operating long before the municipality's amalgamation in 2018.
Now that these boards operate under the Three Rivers banner, the idea is to renegotiate their memorandums of understanding (MOU) to ensure they're being operated with the young municipality's vision in mind.
"We are looking to move the whole municipality ahead together," Walsh said, "to join forces and make more of an impact."
If approved, a consultant would be hired to meet with each board and work to draft new MOUs. Each board could still operate as its own entity and in its own community, but each would be better equipped to co-operate and share knowledge with one another, Walsh said, "by capitalizing on their strengths, while helping to address any shortfalls."
The community boards that Three Rivers plans to open discussions with are:
- Montague Waterfront Development Corporation,
- Three Rivers Sportsplex board in Georgetown,
- Community Welfare League.
If the decision is approved, the consultant would also look into working with the Montague Economic Development Corporation. Similar discussions already took place this past summer with Three Rivers' various arts, culture and festival boards following disputes with Georgetown's Summer Days committee.
The door would also be open to other boards joining in on discussions. Furthering the broader picture of Three Rivers is one of council's top priorities, so the request was moved forward to be decided on at a future meeting.
"(It's) the only way we're going to get Three Rivers on its feet and gelling as one community," Coun. John MacFarlane said.
Coun. Cody Jenkins questioned whether Three Rivers staff should handle discussions instead to reduce spending and to ensure board knowledge isn't lost when the consultant's contract is up. In response, Walsh noted that the consultant would be paid for with post-amalgamation transitional funds.
Mayor Edward MacAulay added that having a consultant start discussions would also make it easier for staff to continue them. It's a big task and discussions could be intensive, seeing as these boards have been operating independently for years.
"To change their way of doing things is going to take a bit of effort," he said. "We don't even know for certain if they want to work together."
Daniel Brown is a local journalism initiative reporter, a position funded by the federal government.
