By MATTHEW VAN DONGEN/QMI Agency Posted March 25 2011
THOROLD —
Niagara's regional chairman has created a task force and set a 30-day deadline to come up with possible solutions to the region's never-ending economic development debate.
Gary Burroughs caught some regional councillors off-guard Thursday night by announcing the creation of a small task force of politicians, staffers and business leaders to tackle the uncertain future of Niagara Economic Development Corp.
Council met for a brainstorming session March 10 to talk about the fate of the beleaguered agency, which some politicians want to fold into a regional department, or axe altogether.
Burroughs said Thursday he wanted to inject some urgency into a debate that has dragged on over more than two years.
"You can blame me for the task force," he said after the meeting. "I see this as a way to move forward. Economic development can't wait for another term."
Burrough said the task force members would "build on the themes" identified by a consultant in the March 10 planning session.
Those themes include:
Agreement that the current regional economic development system isn't working.
"Unified action" is needed, whether through a single entity or some other means of "working across jurisdictions."
Create a "one-stop shop" to support business.
The need to diversify Niagara's economy.
Burroughs emphasized the task force wouldn't be expected "to come up with all the answers." But he said he's hoping the group will come up with possible "objectives" for regional economic development that regional council could chew on.
Some councillors said the task force was too small, and too soon.
St. Catharines Coun. Bruce Timms said council needed more than a "nice imagination session" to voice concerns about economic development. He said any task force needs to take into account councillors' concerns, as well as those of city economic development organizations, before attempting to come up with solutions.
Mayor Brian McMullan called the move a "good first step" and "positive from the perspective that we really need to get a move on."
The proposed task force includes two regional staff members, Couns. Debbie Zimmerman and Al Caslin and business representatives John Fisher of Walker Industries and Meridian Credit Union president Sean Jackson.
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