The Similkameen News Leader
Editorial
January 20, 2009
THERE BETTER BE A PLAN B
Last week Princeton Town Council chose not to renew their agreement with the Similkameen Valley Planning Society for economic development services.
It basically means Princeton will forge ahead into the future without the services of an Economic Development Officer - unless, of course, Town Council has an alternative plan in place - which I seriously doubt as that’s not normally how things get done here.
I’ve lived here long enough to know that when things are going pretty good in the town, the big picture gets pushed aside or forgotten.
I suspect that since it seems a pretty good bet that the copper mine will re-open in 2010 and the water project to East Princeton (and ultimately the dry, lonely and quiet industrial park) maybe the train of thought around the Council table is we won’t need anyone flogging the wonders of Princeton because people will just flock here to set up business...and even if they don’t, who cares? The mine will be open and people will be working and happy to be here.
How I hope I’m wrong on this one.
I would think now would be the most important time in the history of our community to have a Economic Development Officer or Committee of some kind in place to capture long-term interest in the town now that the mine is going to re-open and water will be servicing those sad and lonely lots in the industrial park.
Of course, if the Town already has some sort of ‘top secret’ plan to save the economics of the community by promoting it’s benefits in a manner that could possibly lead to business investment (in other words, economic development) then let’s here it.
The Town has had a horrible record in the past doing this ‘in-house’ so I’m hoping that’s not the route they’ll be taking.
The Chamber of Commerce could use the tens of thousands of dollars the Town is going to save in not renewing their agreement with the SVPS so maybe they can muster up the power to do the job.
There’s no doubt they can use the dough.
I’m not convinced the Town did the right thing on this one...but I’ve been wrong before. And, as I said before, I hope I’m wrong on this one because I’d hate to see the function shoved aside until the local economy takes another kick to the knees before it dawns on someone that the decision made back in 2009 may not have been such a good idea after all.
