SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - There is a fine line the city must walk in order to deal with social problems, some city councillors said after the long-awaited city social plan was presented to council on Monday.

The first of its kind, the plan titled Championing Well-Being in Yellowknife will aim to help define municipal social responsibility through a set of 16 recommendations laid out by Lutra Associates Ltd.

The 50-page report identifies major social issues, like housing, crime, substance abuse, income and food security. The goal of the plan is to enhance the welfare of Yellowknife residents.

To be successful the plan targets a list of priorities to be addressed over the next three years.

Similar social plans have been in use in southern communities for more than 15 year. Lois Little, a representative of Lutra Associates, said the report will help the city tackle social issues in the future and help increase the scope of advocacy and facilitation.

The report "typically looks beyond the regular roles of municipalities," Little said. "It broadens the whole framework for municipalities."

Coun. Bob Brooks said he believes the report is timely - and needed for the city to focus its energy more efficiently on the issues at hand - but added the city would have to try hard to not step on the toes of health and social service delivery and programming.

"We don't want (social services) to be downloaded onto us," Brooks said. "There is a challenge here of taking on too much."

Little said the plan is set up in a way to not step outside the boundaries of the current vision the city has.

"We want to work within the current mandate and not put any additional burden on the city," she said, adding it's more like being a facilitator between other governments and organizations within the city, ultimately asking council to reinvigorate social issues within the orders of government.

One of the biggest recommendations was the development of an inter-agency social council to allow groups to collaboratively deal with evolving social issues.

Coun. Mark Heyck wondered if there was support for this kind of body. Little said the support was there but the capacity to organize it was lacking.

"Its work has a positive precedent to bring people together on a common issue," she said.

Little said the 16 recommendations are a lot to work on, but said she believes it is important to build a solid foundation for the plan to continue to progress in the future.

"There are some actions that need to be taken from now until the current council's mandate is up," she said.

Council will vote to adopt the plan this Monday.