Comments on: Aurora Strategic Plan, Plant The Innovation Seed, Promote Business Growth

By: Anna Lozyk Romeo

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 04:44:15 +0000

Hey Marvin, you seems to know a lot about my area, lol.
I think it is good idea because I did my engineering thesis like that in university and it worked.
I have no idea if the company ever build the real size drill rig from our prototype, lol, but some other students had guaranteed jobs and excellent results.
This is just going one level down, to high school. Kids are smart, we underestimate them.
I know what you mean for the credit, but if you get many students involved,
statistically there should be some kind of result. And if not then it will keep them busy,
and prepared for the future.
Thanks for dropping by Aurora again.
Anna

By: Marvin

Marvin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 04:22:46 +0000

Wow, surprising that Aurora (between Newmarket and Richmond Hill, right?) has so many empty storefronts. It seemed that all of Toronto was still going gangbusters in April when I was there.

I think it’s a good idea to co-opt students to intern at area businesses. The question would be, would the students regard this just as a “show up and get credit” kind of thing, or would they actually be motivated to invest time and creativity in the business. I know what the answer would be in the US but maybe it would work better in your area.

By: Anna Lozyk Romeo

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 04:19:52 +0000

Hi Chris, thank you sharing your thoughts and glad to hear that we are on the same side.
I am little disappointed with the current outcome, but I am sure that your inputs and suggestions will keep the plan going.
I believe in the long term change, and we want to have results in 20 years we must act now.
I think King had the right idea. Aurora should have done the same little more strategically too,
we walk, we shop, we live, some of us work, we enjoy Aurora, the input should be ours.
Thanks again,
Anna

By: Christopher Watts

Christopher Watts — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:07:08 +0000

Anna,

I agree with what you have laid out, and will forward it to some of the councillors that are on the steering committee for the Strategic Plan.

I share the same reservations, and from sitting in on one of these meetings I can confirm the lack of engagement is frightening.

When you compare the bungling the town of Aurora has done to what they are doing in King : http://sustainableking.com/

It’s amazing that they were able to get 100 people out, have food and prizes, activities and gather valuable feedback, most likely for less than the $75,000 Aurora council has spent on the consultants it has hired for our Strategic Plan, who so far have held few meetings, none of them well attended, none of them with any engagement and still no vision statement.

On one hand it’s sad that we incur such an expense for a job that staff could do, but is spared from due to the guise of “impartiality” yet on the other I’m not convinced that the feeble communications department at the town could do much better.

I hope that there are some concilors that step up to the plate with this and prevent it from becoming the disaster the 2006 plan was.