Mapleton council has approved the selection of Millier, Dickieson and Blais to develop a municipal cultural plan.
The firm’s proposal to do the project for $26,275 was chosen from among five bidders at the Sept. 16 meeting of the economic development committee and approved by council on Sept. 22.
A report from business development and marketing coordinator Crystal Ellis notes Mapleton was successful in its application to the County of Wellington’s BRE (Business Retention and Expansion) Municipal Implementation Fund and has been granted $25,000 towards the creation of the cultural plan, which was originally budgeted at $40,000.
Originally, with $25,000 obtained from the county, the remaining $15,000 was allocated in the 2014 budget, but the lower bid means less will come from the township.
“The proposal received from Millier, Dickieson Blais will see just under $5,000 being funded from the Mapleton budget this year,” Ellis noted in her report.
Municipal cultural planning is a priority in the council-approved Economic Development Strategic Plan and Township of Mapleton 2013 Community Based Strategic Plan, the report points out.
“Having completed the Mapleton branding project in the spring of 2014, the next step is to build upon the momentum of the rebranding project and further identify our cultural assets to strengthening the community identity and future goals. The strategies … provided in the cultural plan will then be utilized as a valuable tool in attracting and retaining both businesses and residents in our municipality.”
Councillor Neil Driscoll asked how the project managed to come in so far under budget.
Ellis speculated Mapleton may be benefiting from lower prices from the consulting firm, resulting from experience and efficiencies garnered from creating cultural plans for other municipalities.
