What This DEA Program Actually Is

“Building Belonging” is a Village-led I.D.E.A. (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility) initiative.
This is not about housing, zoning, infrastructure, or any of the big files you’ve been fighting on.

This is an administrative culture/communications project designed to:

• improve resident–staff interactions

• signal that the Village is “modernizing”

• create a formal I.D.E.A. framework (a policy document)

• run surveys and engagement sessions to show community input, It’s soft policy, not land-use policy.

What’s Driving It

Small municipalities roll out these projects because:

• They’re low-risk, grant-eligible, and PR-friendly

• They help municipalities look “progressive” during periods of conflict or criticism

• They shift conversations away from controversial files (zoning, dike funding, transparency issues)

This announcement dropped right as:

• zoning backlash is intensifying

• water/sewer capacity concerns are surfacing

• the Village is under scrutiny for transparency

• infrastructure deficits are becoming unavoidable, It acts as a distraction and reputation buffer.

What It Changes

Very little.
An I.D.E.A. plan usually results in:

• a staff training module

• a public-facing “inclusion statement”

• a few new procedures for customer service

• new language on the website and forms

It does not:

• change bylaws

• change zoning

• change provincial housing mandates

• change how decisions are made

• improve infrastructure, finances, or governance

Red Flags / Concerns

1. Timing is political.
   Dropped during the zoning battle and infrastructure questions.

2. This can be used as a shield.
   Municipalities often say:
   “We engaged the community broadly” — while avoiding actual policy debates.

3. Survey framing may be biased.
   These “5-minute surveys” collect surface-level input that staff later portray as “strong support.”

4. IDEA plans often become mandatory filters.
   Could be integrated into procurement, hiring, program approvals, or future bylaw language.

5. Can redirect staff time away from core operational issues (water, sewer, dike, finance, zoning).

What Residents Should Watch For

• How much this costs

• Which consultants are hired

• Whether this becomes a substitute for real engagement

• Whether the Village cites this program as “public consultation” for unrelated matters

• If the plan is later used to justify policy changes without hearings

Bottom Line

It’s a communications / culture project, not a governance fix.
Useful for PR, harmless on its own, but it risks being leveraged to claim “community input” on far more serious issues.