Info, comments from past sustainability events posted to website

An addition to the website for the Jasper Community Sustainability Plan (JCSP) that will list participants’ comments as a way to assist in the planning process is set to be launched by the end of the week.

“What we’ve heard is that people want to see all the comments from various workshops and Pecha Kucha events,” said Ron Hooper, chair of the sustainability plan’s Working Group. “Because they want to consider what other people in the community are saying about these issues, in the sense it will help them prepare to go to the next stage of the planning process.”

Information from the kick-off event on Oct. 15, the sustainable tourism workshop on Oct. 16, the first Pecha Kucha on Oct. 22 and the vision and principles workshop on Nov. 5 will be posted on the site.

The JCSP is currently working on community engagement, or a series of events spread over several months to collect input about the future of the town.

Based on feedback, Hooper said, the Working Group decided to not only make comments from other residents available, but also background information on planning process themes. 

In the meantime, the goals and indicators workshops originally scheduled for Nov. 25 and 26 have been postponed until January to give residents time to take in the newly-posted information. 

“So when we hold the next large workshop in January, residents will be able to come with all the information that’s been provided to date by other residents, plus background info on the theme topics such as housing, transportation, and economic sustainability,” he said.

Feedback also indicated that residents feel the plan is moving along quickly. The adaptability of the Working Group, eight volunteers appointed to engage the community, demonstrates their commitment, Hooper said. 

Jasper residents were invited to attend the second Pecha Kucha night, in which participants use brief slideshows to convey their ideas, the evening of Nov. 20 at Cassio’s Trattoria. The next community engagement event for the JCSP will be held mid-January.

For more information on the JCSP, visit http://jasperplan.wordpress.com.