Dryden’s five-year plan prioritizes population growth management
Dryden City Council is moving forward with their new 2026-2031 strategic plan.
Chief Administrative Officer Roger Nesbitt says the priority is to manage forecasted population growth in a sustainable manner by improving housing availability and affordability.
“I think it’s a foregone conclusion with many of the individuals that provided feedback that Dryden is destined for population growth,” Nesbitt said as he announced the strategic plan to council on Monday. “We need to preserve that quality of life that makes Dryden attractive to existing residents, new residents and businesses.”
Nesbitt outlined five strategic priorities for the city from 2026 to 2031:
- Implement an Infrastructure-First Development Policy. The city plans to adopt a policy that mandates necessary infrastructure upgrades are completed ahead of, or concurrent with, the approval of major new housing or commercial developments.
- Protect and Direct Development (Land Use Planning). The city plans to strategically define clear boundaries for growth, concentrating new development in specific, intended areas.
- Support Housing Affordability and Diversity. The city plans to proactively foster a diverse housing supply to meet the needs of all income levels and life stages.
- Proactive Investment in Critical Public Services. The city plans to work with appropriate community stakeholders and senior levels of government and use projected growth forecasts to immediately plan for increased staffing and facility expansions in critical service areas.
- Strengthen Municipal Capacity and Fiscal Health. The city plans to invest in municipal administrative strength and pursue diversified, sustainable revenue streams in order to build staffing and technical expertise to manage complex, large, scale growth and to fund sudden infrastructure needs without sole reliance on existing property tax revenue.
The full strategic plan can be viewed here.
