The Reeve for Hanover is calling it a successful weekend.

Jim Funk is referring to their strategic planning session that took place last weekend in Winnipeg. Held every two years, the session provides Council with a list of strategies to work on.

Funk says they came up with five strategies. One of those is effective leadership and governance with a focus on organizational excellence. He notes the goal is to create a governance model which ensures that Hanover's service offerings move from good to great.

A second strategy is for balanced and responsible economic growth throughout the municipality. Funk says the goal is to reach a 60/40 residential/ commercial assessment split. According to Funk, they are well short of that split. He says of their main communities in Hanover, Blumenort would be the closest to having 40 per cent commercial assessment. Funk suggests today Blumenort is probably between 25 and 30 per cent commercial.

"Which is I think very good," he notes. "If all our communities had that, I think we would be sitting very pretty."

Funk suggests Grunthal is probably the only other community that has more than 10 per cent commercial assessment; with Mitchell, New Bothwell and Kleefeld all being below that. 

"That's an area we definitely would like to grow in," he points out.

As to how Hanover will increase the commercial presence in its communities, Funk says his Council will have to brainstorm and try to get more businesses to move into their urban areas.

A third strategy from the weekend's strategic planning session is to increase their asset management program to a point where the information begins to be used for long-term decision making.

Funk says another strategy is for organizational excellence in recreation service delivery. He notes they want to create a recreational governance model that will generate a workable long-term plan towards optimal service delivery. 

And finally, Funk says their fifth strategy is for regional collaboration. 

'We feel that is very important to us," says Funk. "We definitely want to work together with our neighbouring municipalities."