The Regional District of East Kootenay Board of Directors approved the RDEK Human Resources (HR) Plan Friday morning, which will increase the organization’s capacity to allow it to meet increasing service demands.

“The last HR Plan was completed in 2013,” explains RDEK Board Chair Rob Gay. “In the nine years since, we have seen increased legislative obligations, a growing number of services and amenities, a sharp increase in the frequency and magnitude of emergencies, increased service level expectations and much higher development.”

To help identify the greatest needs within the organization and those areas that current resource levels were not sufficient or sustainable, a thorough HR Review was undertaken. This included a review of the RDEK Strategic Priorities, staff interviews and surveys, review of organizational data and statistics, and a detailed gap analysis.

“Through this comprehensive review we were able to identify those areas where additional resourcing is required to ensure we are meeting our legal obligations, are able to continue to respond effectively to emergencies, be responsive to the needs and expectations of the public, and maintain our current service levels,” adds Gay.

The HR Plan includes the addition of 12.5 positions across the organization and is expected to be rolled out over the next two years at a cost not to exceed $25/year on an average rural residential property and $5/year on an average municipal residential property.

“I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to the development of the Plan. We as a Board recognize the incredible work our staff do to serve this region and know this Plan will help us be better positioned and appropriately resourced to continue to move the region forward,” adds Gay.

The next steps in the process will be finalizing an implementation schedule, establishing timelines and meeting with RDEK staff to review the Plan.