Preliminary Information about LURA and the Huntsville Sustainability Plan
The Town of Huntsville has hired LURA to assist in the development of a Sustainability Plan and will oversee the entire process. Final decisions throughout this process will be made through the Environmental Committee and Council. A Working Group with representatives from Huntsville including , Town Councillors and staff , LURA, local Business and the Green Plan Task Force, has been established to contribute ideas to the plan.
Community engagement is a key component of the planning process to ensure that the Working group is guided by community feedback, insight and advice and The Sustainability Plan incorporates this feedback. LURA’s role is to provide needed process and technical support to the Town and community.
LURA Consulting
For over thirty years, LURA has facilitated public agencies and their communities to achieve economic, environmental and community prosperity for present and future generations. LURA uses proven, participatory planning and action processes to engage people in productive dialogue - enabling the development of pragmatic and actionable results. LURA's professional staff is expert in assisting clients to achieve all facets of sustainable community planning and implementation.
Five core services provided:
• Consultation and Facilitation
• Communications and Outreach introductory
• Policy and Program Development
• Research
• Corporate Sustainability
Contact Information: Email: Website: www.lura.ca
Previous LURA Projects:
• Severn Sound Sustainability Plan
• Dundas Valley 50-Year Vision
• Town of Caledon Sustainability Plan
• Sudbury Sustainability Local Action Plan
Who to talk to about the Sustainability Plan
The Sustainability Plan development process is being led by a team of senior sustainability planning representatives at LURA. Susan Hall, VP central Canada is the project director, Liz Nield, Manager Strategic Planning and Business Services is the project manager and Sally Leppard, Lura’s CEO and founder is providing advisory services.
LURA demonstrated its commitment by having a staff member (Michele Locke) move into the Town of Huntsville for this project.
Michele has extensive practical experience in all three sectors of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental as well as over ten years experience in communications. She has worked with LURA Consulting on two large projects: the Severn Sound Sustainability Plan and the Stakeholder Strategy for the South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Region.
Michele has enjoyed decades of summers at her family cottage on Doe Lake near Katrine and currently has a full time residence in Tiny Township on Georgian Bay. She has moved into Huntsville (99%) of the time to work with the community on the public involvement process of this project.
Michele will be working with stakeholders, attending special events, holding kitchen table meetings, encouraging people to fill out surveys, blogging, and exploring Huntsville and area to ensure that as many people as possible have an opportunity to be part of this amazing process. Michele has indicated that you should feel free to email her at or call locally 705.571.0171. Michele will be working closely with Susan, Liz and Sally to ensure that your ideas are heard and integrated into the plan.
Note: There is a Special Huntsville Council session with LURA on Wednesday January 27th from 4:30 to 7:30pm and the next Working Group meeting is February 4th from 9am to noon in the meeting room on the 2nd floor of the Huntsville Town Hall. Future Working Group meetings are planned for March 4, March 18, April 1,and April 15, also from 9 am to noon.
(Prepared by M. Young on January 22, 2010 with information provided by M. Locke of LURA.)
