Rossland updates 2025 Strategic Plan; focused on infrastructure, sustainability

Rossland revamps city plans

Photo: Samantha Holomay

The City of Rossland has approved an updated version of the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan following a midterm review.

There were two reviews that took place in late 2024 and January 2025 that aimed to refine the city’s priorities and long term goals.

The key updates to the strategic plan are as follows:

• Policy re-evaluation (optimal governance and organizational processes);
• Enhancing livable growth and population development (livable growth and development);
• Improving communication and community engagement (communication and community engagement);
• Refocusing the scope of the city's recreational services, arts and cultural heritage (sustainable service delivery, recreation, art, culture and heritage); and
• Strengthening climate leadership goals (climate leadership and environmental stewardship).

Another key focus of the review is ensuring financial responsibility while preparing for future growth in downtown Rossland. The city has offered free downtown parking for years, but Development manager Stacey Lightbourne said a review of the parking model is planned for the coming years.

"Our population increases significantly in the winter and a bit in the summer," said Lightbourne in an interview with Castanet, explaining that the reviews are a response to the area's growing population.

She added that these implementations could include adding paid parking meters to the downtown core to help fund infrastructure improvements, similar to what the City of Nelson does where the revenue from parking meters contributes $1.29 million to city coffers.

According to the City of Rossland, the revised plan aims to strengthen its commitment to sustainability by working with regional and provincial partners to reduce the cost of shared services.

Council said that the Strategic Plan will continue to serve as framework for decision-making and progress tracking for the remainder of the council’s term.

The city added that the updates also align the development of the Draft 2025 Budget and the 2025-2029 Financial Plan to maintain fiscal responsibility and effective resource allocation.