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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGOV-COR-2033 - Equity and Anti-Racism Advisory Committee - Terms of Reference POLICY Policy No: GOV-COR-2033 Approval Date: June 20, 2022 Policy Title: Equity & Anti-Racism Advisory Committee – Reviewed Date: June 2022 Terms of Reference Next Review Date: Click here to enter Policy Type: COUNCIL text. Reviewed Date: June 2022 Category: Governance Sub-Category: Board & Committee Last Amended: Click here to enter a date. Author: Senior Anti-Racism Advisor Replaces: Click here to enter text. Dept/Div: Equity, Anti-Racism & Repealed: Click here to enter a date. Indigenous Initiatives Replaced by: Click here to enter text. Related Policies, Procedures and/or Guidelines: GOV-COR-2025 Equity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism Policy GOV-COU-005 Code of Conduct for Members of Council, Local Boards & Advisory Committees 1. POLICY PURPOSE: 1.1 Mandate and Scope The Equity and Anti-Racism Advisory Committee fulfils an advisory role, providing advice and recommendations to Kitchener City Council on matters related to equity and anti-racism to support and further the City of Kitchener’s strategic directions. The committee also ensures ongoing grassroots community involvement as work related to equity and anti-racism continues to be developed and implemented at the City, and thus provides a mechanism of community accountability. The aim of this committee is to create space that allows for sharing and actioning of concerns that impact under-represented communities in Kitchener. 2. DEFINITIONS: 1 of 5 Policy No: GOV-COR-2033 Policy Title: Equity & Anti-Racism Advisory Committee Terms of Reference Anti-Racism: Working to understand and dismantle racism. It is a change and transformation-focused practice and requires action. It’s not anti-racism if a conversation isn’t followed by concrete actions and accountability. Equity: An equity approach seeks to create the conditions for fair and equal access and opportunity for everyone, by addressing discriminations, exclusions and barriers experienced by distinct groups. Equity is not the same as equality, nor is it the same as inequality. 3. SCOPE: POLICY APPLIES TO THE FOLLOWING: ☐ All Employees ☐ All Full-Time Employees ☐ All Union ☐ Management ☐ C.U.P.E. 68 Civic ☐ Non Union ☐ C.U.P.E. 68 Mechanics ☐ Temporary ☐ C.U.P.E. 791 ☐ Student ☐ I.B.E.W. 636 ☐ Part-Time Employees ☐ K.P.F.F.A. ☐ Specified Positions only: ☐ Other: ☐ Council ☒ Local Boards & Advisory Committees 4. POLICY CONTENT: 4.1 Composition and Appointments Membership includes no less than 8 and no more than 12 citizen community members who live, work, attend school and/or own property in Kitchener and represent voices who have been historically underrepresented or excluded, including Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ identified, people with disabilities, religious minorities, and the intersections of these identities. Consideration will also be given to diversity of age, education, lived experience and expertise related to social issues. Committee members will have lived experience and/or expertise in issues of marginalized and vulnerable communities and reflect the diversity of those communities Members will include the following:  6 representatives of organizations working in such fields as (but not limited to), housing, healthcare, education, employment and entrepreneurship, child welfare, equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), and the criminal justice system. 2 of 5 Policy No: GOV-COR-2033 Policy Title: Equity & Anti-Racism Advisory Committee Terms of Reference  3 elder members, who self-identify and represent the wisdom of diverse minority communities  3 youth members between the ages of 16-29 Members will be appointed by an interim Nominating Committee comprised of members of the Mayor’s Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion until revisions are made to the standing Nominating Committee. Co-Chairs (2) will be elected by members of the Equity, Anti-Racism and Indigenous Initiatives Office, at the first meeting, or as soon as possible after. Members are appointed for a term coincident with the term of City Council (2 years). The Advisory Committee will meet until the completion of its mandate or the end of the current City Council term, whichever comes first. Members of City Council will not have an official seat on the committee, but mechanisms of inclusion will be in place to ensure open channels of communication and opportunities for ongoing updates to be provided between the advisory committee and members of City Council. Membership is voluntary and a public service; however, members will receive an honorarium. 4.2 Responsibilities of the Committee Advise Council on equity and anti-racism issues in collaboration with the Equity, Anti-Racism and Indigenous Initiatives team. Support the Equity, Anti-Racism & Indigenous Initiatives team as a resource, a sounding board, and to provide review, collaboration, and feedback on ongoing work. Surface things that are happening in the community and help identify community priorities for equity and anti-racism work happening at the City. Serve as a conduit to the larger community when additional feedback and engagement is required related to equity and anti-racism work at the City. Support, provide review, collaboration and feedback on equity and anti-racism issues across all departments at the City. 3 of 5 Policy No: GOV-COR-2033 Policy Title: Equity & Anti-Racism Advisory Committee Terms of Reference Serve as the selection committee for the Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Equity (RISE) Fund, a community grant program created to support Black, Indigenous and racialized groups and organizations in Kitchener. 4.3 Meetings Meetings will be held monthly and are open to the public A meeting or part of a meeting may be closed to the public if the subject matter being considered meets the criteria under section 239 of the Ontario Municipal Act (2001), subsection (2), (3) and (3.1). As per the Ontario Municipal Act (2001), section 239, subsection (4), before holding a meeting or part of a meeting that is to be closed to the public, a committee shall state by resolution the fact of the holding of the closed meeting and the general nature of the matter to be considered at the closed meeting, or in the case of a meeting being closed for the purpose of educating or training the members (subsection 3.1), the general nature of its subject matter and that it is to be closed under that subsection. To support a collaborative approach to agenda-setting where all members have a voice, time will be reserved during each meeting to set the agenda for the next meeting. Members are expected to attend all meetings. Members missing two consecutive meetings, or more than four meetings total, will be contacted for confirmation of commitment. Members who cannot attend meetings and/or otherwise fulfill the duties outlined in the terms of reference and volunteer role description will be asked to step down. A replacement will then be appointed according to Council procedural policy. A quorum of this committee is half-plus-one of the current number of members. 4.4 Ad-hoc meetings and/or subcommittees Ad-hoc meetings and/or sub-committees are formed, if necessary, with a mandate to address specific issues related to equity and anti-racism in Kitchener. 4.5 Reporting and Decision-Making The committee reports to City Council as required. The committee serves as an accountability mechanism for the Equity, Anti-Racism and Indigenous Initiatives division within Corporate Services through regular 4 of 5 Policy No: GOV-COR-2033 Policy Title: Equity & Anti-Racism Advisory Committee Terms of Reference collaboration and monthly updates from the Equity, Anti-Racism and Indigenous Initiatives team about ongoing and upcoming work. The committee strives to make decisions through consensus. If consensus cannot be reached, the decision will be made by a vote and a simple majority is required. Staff will not have a vote. 4.6 Review Terms of reference will be reviewed by the advisory committee at least once per term and updated as required. 5. HISTORY OF POLICY CHANGES Administrative Updates The date (yyyy-mm-dd) and a short annotation on the nature of the change to reflect the current corporate structure i.e. Departmental re-organization / Titling changes / Standing Committee restructuring. Formal Amendments The date of the resolution passed by Council or CLT, for example, “2020-01-20 - As per Council/CLT directive” \[Start typing here\] 5 of 5