Commission debates alignment between EatWell action plan and broader Food Systems Plan; proposes task force

LiveWell Kingston commissioners spent the bulk of the meeting discussing how the commission’s draft goals relate to EatWell’s existing action plan and a separate city-led food systems plan now in development.

Staff reported that EatWell has already developed an action plan for 2025; the commission’s draft action plan contains goals and objectives that do not directly match EatWell’s tactics. Staff emphasized that the city’s food systems plan (a separate planning project) will include items outside LiveWell Kingston’s current staff capacity and that the plan may require hiring dedicated staff to implement some tasks. Commissioners and staff agreed that coordination is needed rather than immediate replacement of EatWell’s plan.

Key points from the discussion included: - Differing scopes: The commission’s draft goals focus on improving physical, social and economic access to healthy food (for example, increasing the number of retail outlets offering a range of produce), while EatWell’s existing action plan contains different strategies developed with the EatWell stakeholder group. - Capacity constraints: Staff said the food systems plan contains work beyond the current department’s scope and may require grant funding and additional personnel to deliver recommended activities. - Proposed task force: Staff proposed convening a food-systems-task force (sometimes described as a task force rather than a new food policy council) to review the draft food systems plan, invite EatWell members and other stakeholders to participate, and meet in months when EatWell does not convene. The task force would be part of LiveWell Kingston’s broader effort, with the goal of coordinating city and community partners on plan implementation. - Community outreach and measurable objectives: Commissioners urged clearer, measurable objectives (for example, corner-store and retailer engagement, SNAP acceptance increases) and practical outreach (bodega visits, Spanish-language engagement). One commissioner emphasized the importance of communicating the purpose of outreach so residents and small retailers understand why staff and volunteers are engaging them.

Staff said the food systems plan is being finalized for public release in February and proposed convening the task force by March so commissioners could help map roles and responsibilities. Commissioners asked for a concise “state of the focus teams” briefing at the next meeting to clarify which focus groups are active and how the commission’s high-level goals relate to each team’s work.