Envision revamps relationship with municipalities, RSC

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Envision Saint John will still be answering to area municipalities as its funding source switches to the regional service commission, its CEO says.

Saint John council voted Monday to accept an amended members’ agreement with Envision, which bills itself as The Regional Growth Agency. Envision was formed in 2021 by Saint John, Quispamsis, Rothesay, Grand Bay-Westfield and Hampton, consolidating three existing economic development agencies into one, according to a council report, with the member municipalities sharing the bill.

The agency provides assistance with real estate development, destination marketing and sales, business growth, population growth and workforce development, according to its website. Its strategic goals include drawing 25,000 people to the region in a 10-year period.

After local government reform in 2023 made economic development the responsibility of regional service commissions, that meant a new funding model, said interim CEO Andrew Beckett. The agency now has a master services agreement with the Fundy Regional Service Commission, which has its own way of sharing costs between municipalities along a set formula.

According to the council report, that “created some inconsistencies and conflict related to funding Envision and also required a re-examination of the governance structure.” Beckett said it made the existing agreements with the municipalities “redundant.”

Beckett said the agency began revising its governance structure in August to reflect its new relationship with the regional service commissions, including the addition of Fundy-St. Martins and the Fundy Rural District. Its 15-member board, which included municipal and provincial representatives and community members, will be replaced with an 11-member community board, Beckett said.

“We didn’t want to take away the accountability back to the municipalities that provide us funding,” Beckett said.

He said that the agency’s budgets, strategic plans and performance updates will still require approval through a members meeting where municipalities will be represented by their chief administrative officers. The Fundy Rural District, which is unincorporated, will take part as a non-voting member, he said.

In 2022, Saint John provided $1.7 million of Envision’s $5.5 million budget, with $501,000 coming from the other municipalities, including St. Martin’s, $885,000 coming from the province and $178,000 from the federal government. $1.15 million came from destination marketing fees, according to financial statements.

In terms of cost, Beckett said there’s no change, with the initial funding established set to end in 2025, with the RSC responsible for funding decisions afterwards.

“In this region, the level of collaboration among the municipal units is quite strong. The fact that they took the initiative to set up Envision before municipal reform is a strong indication of that,”  Beckett told Brunswick News Wednesday. “I don’t things have changed from that standpoint, even though our funding flows through (the RSC), our relationship with the municipal units is important.”

Fundy RSC chair and Quispamsis Mayor Libby O’Hara called Envision Saint John a “strong partner” for the commission.

“With the proposed changes to their members’ agreement, they are well positioned to continue delivering valuable service to the Fundy region,” O’Hara said in a statement Wednesday. “(This) demonstrates the agency’s ability to continue to evolve and adapt to the needs and interests of its members.”

Beckett said combining three previous agencies was a challenge, as well as dealing with the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency also increased work on development and transparency after feedback from municipalities, Beckett told Brunswick News in December.

“The positive part at this stage that I think in the last year or so, the agency’s really hit its stride,” Beckett said. “Our team’s out there doing the work and trying to get results for the region, and I think those efforts are being recognized by people.”

Beckett, a former deputy city manager for Saint John, was appointed interim CEO in September for at least a year after permanent CEO Paulette Hicks went on leave, Brunswick News reported.

The new agreements were ratified by Quispamsis April 16, by Grand Bay-Westfield April 22, Hampton April 23 and Rothesay and Saint John April 29, Beckett said, with just the existing members approving the changes.

Saint John Mayor Donna Reardon said Monday the changes are about “bringing that document up to speed with what’s happening.” In an email Tuesday, Hampton CAO Richard Malone said “changes had to be made” after local governance reform.

In an email Thursday, Rothesay town manager John Jarvie said the town is “satisfied” that the changes will be beneficial and “is enthusiastic about working with the other local government entities to grow this region during a time of tremendous opportunity.”

In a statement Wednesday, Grand Bay-Westfield mayor Brittany Merrifield said the town “looks forward to our continued partnership and strong working relationship with Envision Saint John” and said the agency’s goals align with the town’s strategic plan.

Beckett said the region is “well-positioned to take advantage of broader economic opportunities,” including the “greening economy,” where he said local businesses are making investments. He also pointed to innovation in health care technology and the increasing traffic through Port Saint John, including finding ways to “increase the local benefit.”

With Saint John pushing for more housing growth in the face of high demand, Beckett said he felt the community is responding to the demand and “picking up on the opportunity.” He said the biggest challenge for the agency is “continuing to deliver on our mandate” as one part of the development picture in the region, and that the agency wants to be “engaging as many people as we can in terms of mobilizing efforts that are going to be needed to move the region forward.”

With files from Emma McPhee