City of Swift Current

Vision Statement

"To be a growing, vital, thriving city, the choice location in which to live, work, invest, visit and play."

May 1995

Revised: November 1998

Revised: December 2000

"To provide cost effective, high quality municipal services consistent with our vision."

• To work towards strengthening Swift Current’s role in southwest Saskatchewan
• To work towards excellence in customer service.
• To work towards economic development, future growth and prosperity.
• To work towards infrastructure sustainability (maintenance) and development, on a cost-effective basis to meet current and future needs.
• To work towards needs based, cost effective protective services.
• To maintain a strong financial position.
• To work towards environmental responsibility.
• Towards the maintenance and orderly development of cost effective cultural, leisure and recreational facilities and programs for the citizens.

Values

Effective Internal Management (Leadership):

Develop, implement and maintain an effective, integrated planning and management process for the City of Swift Current that meets the needs and expectations of the citizens.

• Will provide a common framework for managing operations.
• Creates a coordinated approach to community growth and promotion.
• Will improve communication with all stakeholders.

• Develop and communicate the shared mission, goals, values and strategy for the City at Council and Administrative levels.
• Utilize this framework as a basis for departmental roles, responsibilities, plans and resource allocation.
• Empower staff to implement the plan within a framework of accountability.
• Align policies, procedures and practices with the strategic plan.
• Establish an evaluation process.
• Strengthen the role of the Senior Management Team in assisting Council with their responsibilities.
• Ensure effective communication among all parties (council, public, staff).
• Cooperate in providing regional programs and services that benefit the community.
• Develop an integrated resource allocation process and support overall corporate priorities across each department based on a cost/benefit analysis.
• Review the strategic plan annually.
• Review Department Action Plans on a quarterly basis.

• To work and live by the values of the organization
• To attract, train and support employees to become an integrated resource for the implementation of overall corporate policies.

Promote the City as a prosperous business, cultural and recreational centre with cost-effective services and an infrastructure that makes it a desirable place to live, work, invest, visit and play.

• Economic development will provide resources for future growth and prosperity.
• A coordinated approach to economic development will allow available resources to be utilized more effectively.
• A strong, united voice will be more effective in dealing with senior levels of government.

• Continue the development of a citywide economic development strategy and involve all stakeholders in creating one integrated economic development plan for the City of Swift Current.
• Support existing businesses to ensure business retention and expansion.
• Promote entrepreneurial development.
• Develop appropriate promotional and support materials.
• Encourage the public to develop a sense of pride in the City as a choice spot to live, work, invest, visit and play.
• Encourage and facilitate co-operative community development and promotional efforts
• Include all partners (e.g. education, Chamber of Commerce, etc.) in the process.
• Promote tourism.
• Promote retirement development.
• Communicate current economic development approaches to the public.
• Promote family development incentive programs for residential rejuvenation
• Ensure adequate land is available for City expansion.

• Continue to support ways to revitalize the downtown area
• Continue to support the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development
• Encourage growth and development in industry and business
• Keep the public informed on all aspects of municipal government.
• Increase the number of retirees choosing Swift Current
• Demonstrate that the City is open to private investment and development.
• Develop a tourism plan for the City.

Maintain a fiscally responsible city

• Makes us attractive to investors and new residents - key factor in economic development
• Better access to funds, borrowing
• Creates a resource base for programs and future growth
• Maximize investment returns

• Strive to maintain the lowest municipal taxes of any Saskatchewan city
• Strive to maintain competitive utility rates.
• Continue to develop a clear philosophy pertaining to cost recovery and fees for services.
• Maintain targeted debt to reserve ratios.

• That the city's municipal tax rate is among the lowest of any Saskatchewan city.
• To be financially responsible in the planning for the future of the city.

Provide needs based, cost effective, quality programs, services, facilities and infrastructure for citizens.

• A major part of our role.
• Key to achieving the vision.

• Develop a process to determine facilities and programs based on needs, wants and willingness to pay.
• Maintain an inventory of present programs, services and costs.
• Determine (project) future requirements and funding requirements (alternative) consistent with economic development and financial thrusts.

• To provide competitive, profitable, reliable utilities
• To provide cost effective infrastructure that meets the community's long term needs
• To provide cost effective, co-ordinated protective services to meet the community needs.
• Maintain a parks system that enhances the quality of life of the community
• Provide cost-effective recreational facilities and programs to meet the needs of the community
• Support community based cultural initiatives
• To continue to develop an integrated information system to report timely and accurate information to other departments and council for the purpose of making sound decisions.
• To involve the surrounding municipalities in development and maintenance of regional services and facilities.

Become highly effective in meeting the needs of internal and external customers.

• Strong direction from Council.
• Customers pay for the service.
• Better service can lead to more revenue.

• Develop service oriented policies, procedures and actions.
• Empower staff to provide excellent customer services.
• Provide training and skill development for staff.
• Develop recognition systems to target and reinforce customer service excellence.
• Develop measurement systems to evaluate and improve customer service.
• Practice continuous improvement.
• Communicate our intentions, activities and results to our customers.
• Continue to improve the procedure for utility payments.

• To provide excellence in customer service
• Explore opportunities for on-line customer services.