HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-10-059 - GRAAC Interim AppointmentsREPORT
REPORT TO:
Finance and Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
September 13, 2010
SUBMITTED BY:
Mark Hildebrand, Director, Community Programs and
Services (ext. 2687)
PREPARED BY:
Pamela Albrecht, Inclusion Coordinator (ext. 2226)
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
All
DATE OF REPORT: August 16, 2010
REPORT NO.: CSD-10-059
SUBJECT:
INTERIM APPOINTMENTS TO THE GRAND RIVER
ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE (2010)
RECOMMENDATION:
That the following persons, Mike Begin, Saul Herzog and Paula Saunders, be appointed
to the Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC) on an interim basis to
December 31, 2010, pending ratification by the partnering municipalities of the City of
Waterloo, Region of Waterloo, Township of Woolwich, Township of North Dumfries and
Township of Wellesley; and,
That the temporary provision allowing the GRAAC to operate with 7 to 11 members for
2010 be lifted and the Committee resume operation under its Terms of Reference,
requiring 11 to 15 members.
BACKGROUND:
Under the requirements of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2001 (ODA), all municipalities with
a population of 10,000 or greater are required to establish an Accessibility Advisory Committee
to advise Council on the prevention, identification and removal of barriers for persons with
disabilities. The Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC) is a joint committee of
the Cities of Kitchener and Waterloo, the Region of Waterloo and the Townships of Woolwich,
Wellesley and North Dumfries and is appointed the task of advising the participating
municipalities on accessibility issues.
REPORT:
The Terms of Reference of the GRAAC adopted by Council in 2003 specify that the Committee
will consist of 11 to 15 members of which a majority must be persons with a disability. The
GRAAC began its operating/program year in January 2010 with only ten members. As such,
Council approved a temporary measure in January 2010 allowing the GRAAC to operate with 7
to 11 members for the year 2010.
In Finance and Corporate Services Committee Report CSD-10-004, staff committed to
continuing the recruitment process throughout the year. As a result of these efforts, applications
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were received by staff. In accordance with the GRAAC Terms of Reference, a nominating
committee was struck with staff representatives from the participating municipalities.
While appointments to GRAAC generally take place in January, it is the opinion of staff that
these 3 applicants should be considered for membership outside of the usual appointment
schedule as it would allow the participating municipalities to benefit from the applicants’ full
participation immediately. Interim terms would end December 31, 2010, at which time their
names may be brought forward for a new three year term beginning in January 2011.
Appointing these applicants as members would bring the number of Committee members to 13,
thus allowing the GRAAC to operate under its original and approved Terms of Reference rather
than under temporary provisions.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Nil
COMMUNICATIONS:
All applicants for consideration to this Committee will be acknowledged and informed as to
whether or not they have been selected.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
Pauline Houston, General Manager Community Services
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