East End residents and businesses have been invited to a town hall meeting to discuss the draft strategic plan for the Town of St George.

George Dowling III, the Mayor of St George, said the draft plan, released last month, is the result of years of hard work by the Town Council and the Town Plan Steering Committee, and the meeting will be an opportunity to discuss plans and projects.

“In the preliminary phase, we conducted a national survey to solicit feedback on how the public sees the town,” he said. “Additional work was done to evaluate the municipal needs that are uniquely positioned due to St George’s historical status.

“Bermuda has one town, and that place is where people live, earn a living, begin education, are entertained and build a family. Therefore, the outcomes from the Town Plan have to accommodate a diverse set of goals.”

Candy-Lee Foggo, the town manager, said the plan had to consider a range of factors not anticipated by previous strategic plans, such as the need for businesses to operate a hybrid “bricks-and-clicks” model, the increased use of electronic vehicles and an ageing population.

“The corporation contracted the services of a professional town planner to guide the process and ensure that the council and steering committee have appropriate oversight on key elements of planning,” she said.

“This process is carried out as needed to keep up with changes in the census, infrastructure improvements and technological advancements.

“Existing municipal services, such as water, sewage, business leases, housing rental services and land use, necessitate ongoing monitoring and improvement and will be integrated into the new plan.”

The special town hall meeting will be held between 7pm and 8.30pm on Thursday at the Penno’s Wharf Terminal.

The draft plan is available for review on the Corporation of St George website.