FLASHBACK TO 2010: Moving from boundaries to commonalities — ‘Comox Valley Developers Dialogue’initiated a conversation with the development community about collaboration, alignment and consistency to achieve truly integrated water-centric planning
Note to Reader:
In December 2010, the Comox Valley-CAVI Regional Team hosted the ‘Comox Valley Developers Dialogue’. The purpose of this event was to initiate a conversation with the Comox Valley development community about collaboration, alignment and consistency in a local government setting.
Originally scheduled for Fall 2010, the third annual Comox Valley Learning Lunch Seminar Series was postponed until early 2011. The Developers Dialogue was designed as a ‘bridging event’ .
The 2008 and 2009 series were hosted by the City of Courtenay and Comox Valley Regional District, respectively. The Town of Comox hosted the 2011 Series.
Break Down Boundaries
“The Developers Dialogue is a collaborative approach, and we want to emphasize the word collaborative,” stated Derek Richmond when providing context for desired outcomes in bringing together the development community in a neutral forum. At the time, Derek Richmond was the Manager of Engineering with the City of Courtenay.
The Four Cs
“We 
as the regional team talk about the 4Cs – collaboration, coordination, communication and cooperation. This is a joint effort of the four Comox Valley local governments. We would like the development community to be part of this process.”
“To be successful, we all need to work outside our normal boundaries; and we need to proactively communicate and work with others. We in local government are now thinking of ourselves as a team, not as individuals within silos; truly getting there means we will have to continue breaking down boundaries through communication, collaboration, cooperation and coordination.”
“Through the 4Cs, we would like to shift the paradigm from boundaries to areas of commonality. A key message is to view ‘planning’ not as a land-zoning function but as a multi-faceted and iterative process that embraces the concept of truly integrated water-centric planning.”
To Learn More:
Click on the image below to watch a 5-minute video on YouTube. You will hear Derek Richmond`s opening segment for the 2010 Developers Dialogue.
Dialogue Starts with Conversations
To keep the conversation flowing, participants were invited to contribute content for posting on the waterbucket.ca website. The commentary below was written by Kip Keylock, principal of Ocean Estates Developments, and a Director of the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“The CAVI Developers Dialogue event held in Courtenay this past December was no doubt, one of the best meetings to date. Key issues such as understanding the needs, wishes and requirements of our local governments and the developer community were addressed,” stated Kip Keylock. 
“It was very well noted that by simply outlining each groups’ needs could result in effectiveness and positive results… a huge step toward establishing a much needed synergy.
“The meeting went by quickly and many would have wished for more time as the room was filled with energy.”
Listen, Listen, Listen
“The format was excellent for ‘stirring the pot’ as it allowed for a variety of ideas, questions and comments to flow easily and freely. The non-formal setting made everyone comfortable in sharing comments, whether positive or negative. In my experience I often find myself in meetings that only stifle free speech among peers…this was not the case, continued Kip Keylock.
“The fact that many of the staff and administration from the local municipalities were present, and participated, was a testament to the positive strides being made in the Comox Valley. This is certainly appreciated among the building and development community and will surely springboard a corresponding response.
“The 2009 Learning Lunch Seminar Series and Developers Dialogue have helped in the overall process involving planning, forecasting new and upcoming needs and how best to meet them together,” concluded Kip Keylock.
TO LEARN MORE:
To learn more about the ‘regional team approach’, click on the following links:
Shared Responsibility Underpins a Regional Team Approach to Creating Our Future in British Columbia — The Province has enabled local government by providing law and policy tools to help achieve water sustainability and settlement change in balance with ecology.
Living Water Smart & Building Greener Communities: Implementing a ‘regional team approach’ in British Columbia — How do we simultaneously work together as staff within a municipality and as a region AND externally with the stewardship sector, developers and other private sector players, to ensure we implement sustainable approaches to development?
Bowker Creek Forum advances a ‘regional team approach’ to achieving water sustainability in the Georgia Basin — Major breakthroughs happen when decision makers in government work with grass-roots visionaries in the community to create desired outcomes. This is the essence of the Bowker Creek story.
