Following a “candid exchange” during a two-hour meeting with town council last week to discuss a report on possible projects to enhance the town, Susan Bodnarchuk, chairperson of the “Re-Inventing Fort Frances” group, has announced they won’t be working under the town anymore.
Instead, it will revert to being an ad hoc group.
In a release from the committee, Bodnarchuk said the group was both “surprised and disappointed” to learn at the March 25 meeting that Fort Frances CAO Bill Naturkach had created a new five-person committee to deal with “‘Re-Inventing’ matters.”
Four members of this new committee are town employees and officials. While Bodnarchuk was offered a seat on the new committee, she respectfully declined.
From an exchange at that meeting, Bodnarchuk’s group understood this new committee wants to take a “hands-on” approach in matter of “paramount concern” to the “Re-Inventing” program, such as real estate negotiations for a new Tourism Information Centre in the “gateway” area on Church Street.
Bodnarchuk said that while the group definitely wants the town to demonstrate leadership in implementing the “Re-Inventing” concept, they feel town personnel should not be taking on chores best left to experts.
She also noted the function of the new committee appears to conflict with recommendations issued by her committee in a Feb. 20 letter to council, in which “Re-Inventing” specifically asked that virtually all aspects of implementing the final draft of a report consisting of both public input and data from consultants Hilderman, Thomas, Frank and Cram be handled by a properly-qualified project co-ordinator sponsored by the town.
He or she would be under the guidance of a town-sponsored committee representing a cross-section of community interests, such as the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce, Rainy River Future Development Corp., local Business Improvement Area, members of the current “Re-Inventing” committee, and others.
Bodnarchuk asserted her group was “fully responsive” to all concerns and inquiries expressed by council during the meeting, adding the committee “has satisfactorily fulfilled the duties prescribed it under a contact awarded by the town last July to the Winnipeg firm of Hilderman, Thomas, Frank and Cram.”
But Bodnarchuk noted this has left the “Re-Inventing” committee—which first came together as an ad hoc group in August, 2001 for the purpose of promoting economic diversity, growth, and expansion in the Fort Frances area before becoming a “town committee” in November, 2001—tasked with the planning, developing, organizing, and overseeing the award and execution of a consulting contract for an economic development study, with no choice but to become an ad hoc group once again.
“While committee members remain dedicated to assuring the timely implementation of the ‘Re-Inventing’ concept in a way that provides optimum benefits for the community, in view of the fact the committee per se no longer serves a useful purpose to council or community, you are herewith notified that the committee is disbanded effective immediately,” read a letter to the town.
Naturkach called the move “puzzling,” and chalked it up to a misunderstanding by committee members.
“The ‘Re-Inventing’ committee and the Ontario Realty Corp. had asked the town to take the lead on getting a new Ontario Tourism Centre,” he said.
“The purpose of the [new] committee is not to take over what happens with the ‘Re-Inventing’ report,” he stressed.
Naturkach noted it appears the committee asked the town to take the lead, but had assumed this would mean the core group of “Re-Inventing” volunteers still would be “in charge.”
He said a meeting with the ORC and MInistry of Tourism is in the cards in the next month or so, at which the new committee—comprised of “technical people”—will go to Toronto “to discuss technical matters.”
“That’s the purpose of the town being asked to do this,” he remarked.
Naturkach said council still is in “a dialogue stage” about the final “Re-Inventing” report and has taken no position on it—positive or negative.
He added the town hasn’t yet begun to apply for funding to undertake any of the projects suggested by the report, nor acquire money to hire a project co-ordinator as per the request made in the final draft, which would advise the town on matters relevant to implementing a strategic plan.
These matters eventually will be discussed at future council meetings.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
