BY AILEEN MURPHY
THE amalgamation of Fermanagh and Omagh district councils made further progress this week with the appointment of a manager to assist with the transition .
A transition project manager has been appointed to assist and support the voluntary transition committee and transition management team in implementing the review of public administration locally and ensure that there is an effective new Council in place in May 2011.
Kim McLaughlin, will divide her time between Omagh and Enniskillen and will be located at the council offices in Omagh and the Town Hall in Enniskillen on a rotational basis.
The main focus of her role will be to assist in the development of a coherent approach to the transition process and co-ordinate change management activities across the two councils. This will include the presentation of strategic policy to ensure that the transition process moves forward in line with the relevant guidance and legislation, as well as the management of the convergence to the new Council, so that the objectives are met and the timetable for the implementation is adhered to.
Meanwhile the voluntary transition committee has agreed a vision for the new district and the new local authority area and for the new Council which will be established in 2011.
The vision for the Fermanagh and Omagh district is: "A prosperous, vibrant district, with a good quality of life for all our citizens, a great place in which to live, work, invest and visit – a place to be proud of".
The vision for the new council is: "An ambitious, effective and well governed organisation which will lead and will deliver agreed priorities through partnership".
These visions will inform the decisions of the Transition Committee as they work towards the establishment of the new Council in 2011.
Following the meeting of the voluntary transition committee the joint chairs, councillors Bertie Kerr and Patrick McGowan, welcomed the agreement on the visions as positive progress in the work towards the convergence of Fermanagh and Omagh district councils. "The objective of the review of public administration is to provide strong local government and this vision reflects our intention to ensure that the new district is a thriving, positive place and that the new council will be effective and respond to the needs of the community it will serve".
The joint chairs went on to outline the aims of the new council as: "Valuing all our People; growing the prosperity of the district; shaping our place and; putting quality at the core of business
The visions for the new council and district have been endorsed by both councils and will form the basis for the next stage in the process, to develop the implementation plan and identify the strategic priorities for the first year of the Fermanagh and Omagh district council.
"There are many challenges ahead, both in the transitional period and following the establishment of the new council, but we hope that the progress which the voluntary transition committee has made so far will continue and we will work to a seamless transition to the new administration in 2011. In this regard we are delighted that Kim McLaughlin has been appointed as transition project manager to assist us with the implementation of this reform of local government" concluded councillors Kerr and McGowan.
