From the Office of the Mayor – Why So Many Master Plans?
Have Your Say on the Water Wastewater Master Plan
October 9, 2024
The Water Wastewater Master Plan (WWMP) is the latest master plan that has come forward to Council as part of the MM2048 project. MM2048 has involved almost every municipal service and department to set the course for our community’s future. To find out more about MM2048 go here: www.mississippimills.ca/MM2048.
It may feel overwhelming – so many master plans at once! I’d like to provide some reassurance; these are all plans the municipality has completed in the past and should, generally, update every 5 years or so.
Two things are different this time:
-
For MM2048, the master plans were done at the same time to make sure the data is as accurate as possible. In the past, the plans were completed one after another.
- We engaged with the community much more for MM2048 than in the past to ensure that, as plans and policies are created, we have as much community input as possible. Because of the level of communication and engagement, you’re probably hearing about MM2048 much more than for master plan updates in the past.
Some folks are concerned– why are we planning 25 years into the future, that’s so far out! Here too I’d like to provide some clarity and reassurance. The Municipality’s focus is on the near future items – priority projects that are time-sensitive and address our community’s needs in the short and mid-term. It’s helpful to see 25 years out so we have a sense of what might be coming. Also, the municipality is required by the province to plan ahead and show how we will accommodate the anticipated growth 25 years into the future.
Who determines what our anticipated growth will be? Lanark County is required to provide growth projections to all lower tier municipalities. The Province has made Lanark County the upper tier of local government and the approval point for most major planning matters in the County. Through a study done two terms ago, the County projected that Mississippi Mills will grow to just over 21,000 people by 2038. Our current population is about 15,000 today across the whole Municipality. Note, the County will be updating the population projections soon, so we can expect that projections will likely go up.
Just like has been shared in the past, not all projects in a Master Plan will happen but for a project to happen it must be in a plan. For the Municipality to apply for grants and infrastructure funding, the project needs to be in our plans too.
Back to the Water Wastewater Master Plan (WWMP), this plan guides the planning, management and expansion of municipal water and wastewater infrastructure in Almonte. It will serve as a roadmap for future planning decisions and capital investments for these municipal services.
The final Draft Water Wastewater Master Plan and related documents has been available to the public since September 25. Please have a look at this important plan and provide feedback by October 25.
Here is a set of high-level slides for the final Draft Water Wastewater Master Plan: www.mississippimills.ca/en/build-and-invest/resources/2024-Water-and-Wastewater-Master-Plan-docs/WWW-Master-Plan-Presentation-for-COW-September-17-2024-V1.pdf
To view the high-level slides with presentation by the consultant: https://pub-mississippimills.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=ae664066-9f5c-476b-8691-9bb1dbe7bb46&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English&Item=34&Tab=attachments" target="_blank"
To read or download the final Draft of the Water Wastewater Master Plan and related documents here: www.mississippimills.ca/en/how-we-flow.aspx
Thank you to all who have participated in the MM2048 discussions! Watch our Community Engagement page for more opportunities to provide feedback on upcoming master plans and other initiatives to give your input: www.mississippimills.ca/communityengagement.
Sincerely,
Mayor Christa Lowry
Municipality of Mississippi Mills
Sign up to our newsfeed
Stay up to date on the municipality's activities, events, programs and operations by subscribing to our daily news digest