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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-09-043 - Policy I-125 Terms of Reference - Safe & Healthy Community Adv Cmttee REPORT REPORT TO: Councillor Geoff Lorentz, Chair, and Members of the Community Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: August 10, 2009 SUBMITTED BY: Mark Hildebrand, Director (x2687) PREPARED BY: Lori Palubeski, Manager (x2623) Linda Korabo, Committee Administrator (x2591) WARD(S) INVOLVED: N/A DATE OF REPORT: June 26, 2009 REPORT NO.: CSD-09-043 SUBJECT: POLICY I-125 (TERMS OF REFERENCE - SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE) RECOMMENDATION: That Council Policy I-125 (Terms of Reference - Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee) be repealed and replaced with the revised Policy I-125 attached to the th Community Services Department Report CSD-09-043 and dated June 26, 2009. BACKGROUND: In October 2006 Council received and adopted “A Plan for a Healthy Kitchener, 2007-2027” (P4HK) as the community’s vision for the upcoming twenty years. P4HK provides a unified strategic approach to key areas essential to the health and vitality of the City of Kitchener. It articulates priorities identified in consultation with the community – quality of life, leadership and community engagement, diversity, downtown, development and the environment. Compass Kitchener chose, as a priority activity and with the support of Council, the review of all the City Advisory Committees. Specifically, the initiative considered: the alignment of the City’s Advisory Committees in support of the community’s priorities; recruitment and appointment processes; advisory committees’ structure and mandate; representatives; term of appointment; and, other pertinent issues. Subsequently, Council approved a full Advisory Committee Review and a working group was appointed and began the review the process in 2007. As a result of the review, Chief Administrator’s Office reports CAO-08-021 and CAO-08-027 put forward several recommendations that were approved by Council in the fall of 2008. One of these recommendations was that each Advisory Committee complete a review of their Terms of Reference for clarity and relevance of mandate and submit recommendations to Council for ratification prior to the end of June 2010. Specifically with regards to the Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee, the review suggested that while the committee’s scope was seen as having value and relevance, the report highlighted concerns regarding the scope as “too broad” and “unfocused”. It suggested that the ï ó ï committee review its mandate, scope and model in view of today’s promising practices in relation to community safety and crime prevention and in building partnerships and collaborations within Waterloo Region. REPORT: In order to allow for full participation from committee members and committee staff liaisons, a Community Services department staff member was approached to facilitate the Terms of Reference Review process. At the Committee’s February and March meetings, informational presentations were given which provided members with contextual background information relating to the Committee’s current mandate. Specifically, the presentations provided Committee members with information on current Community initiatives and the subsequent roles of participating agencies or organizations. It was felt that this information was important to provide to the Committee prior to commencing the review process. A facilitated process that was designed to consult with the members on the purpose and scope of the Committee was implemented at the April and May meetings. As a result, Committee consensus was achieved resulting in clear direction relating to the focus of the Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee. Members agreed that the work of the Committee should be considered high level and strategic and support the implementation of the Corporation’s Strategic Plan. As a general principle, the members did not support the Committee operating within a program/service delivery model. Following on this direction, staff met to draft a proposed Terms of Reference which included a revised purpose and scope that reflected a narrower mandate. In addition, staff researched the composition structures of other Committees with similar mandates and proposed a change to the current Committee composition. This change reflects a shift from an organizational member representation to a sector member representation. A proposed draft was presented to the Committee at its June meeting where the purpose and scope component was slightly amended and agreed to and a lengthy discussion on the proposed composition structure resulted in approval to shift to a sector representation model. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: None CONCLUSION: Pending Council approval of the Terms of Reference as presented, it is the goal of the committee to finalize its work plan in the fall of 2009. Implementation of the sector representation will be instituted in concert with the 2010 Advisory Committee Member appointment process. ï ó î ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Pauline Houston, General Manager, Community Services ï ó í COUNCIL POLICY RESOLUTION POLICY NUMBER: I-125 DATE: MAY 27, 2002 AMENDED: SEPTEMBER 20, 2004 AMENDED: _____________. 2009 POLICY TYPE: BOARD & COMMITTEE SUBJECT: SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE - TERMS OF REFERENCE POLICY CONTENT: 1. Purpose and Scope The Safe & Healthy Community Advisory Committee advises Council and Staff on policies, programs & services offered directly by or in conjunction with the City of Kitchener that relate to the health of the city with a focus on community safety and crime prevention. Specifically, the Committee is to consider and advise on the municipality’s role in community safety and crime prevention initiatives. Recognizing that community safety and crime prevention is a collective responsibility, the Committee will emphasize partnership and collaboration. 2. Committee Composition and Reporting The composition of the committee will be: a) 1 member of Council b) 2-3 Members of the community-at-large c) 1 Inner City Resident (lives in Ward 1 or Ward 6 and in one of the following neighbourhoods: Downtown, Cedar Hill, Mill-Courtland, Woodside Park, Victoria Park, King East, Central Frederick, Mount Hope- Breithaupt or Civic Centre.) d) 1 Suburban Resident (any resident of the City living in any other neighbourhood / planning community, other than the ones listed above) e) Representatives from each of the following sectors: i) law enforcement; ii) social services; KITCHENERPage 1 of 3 JUNE 2009 ï ó ì POLICY NUMBER: I-125 SUBJECT: SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE - TERMS OF REFERENCE 2. Committee Composition and Reporting – (Cont’d) iii) sports / recreation; iv) education; vi) social planning; vii) land use planning; and, viii) business f) 1 Representative of the Downtown Advisory Committee g) 1 Representative of the Waterloo Regional Police Service. In filling the community-at-large positions, Council shall endeavour to include representation from people who have related experience in community involvement and reflect the broad diversity of the community. Members are expected to share information with and gather input from the constituent groups they represent, as appropriate and/or requested by the Advisory Committee. Members will be appointed for a term of two years ending November 30. A member of City Council will be appointed. The Committee shall, from amongst its members, choose a Chair and Vice-Chair. A member of Council may sit as either Chair or Vice-Chair. Chairs and Vice-Chairs share in the development of agendas and other duties and will alternately chair meetings. Meetings will be held monthly or at the call of the Chair and minutes will be kept by the committee administrator who will distribute the minutes to all of Council and Corporate Management Team Members. All meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Council’s Procedural By-law. The Committee shall report to the Community Services Committee unless the Chair / Vice-Chair deem it expedient that a report be made directly to Council. Should the Committee feel a sub-committee is required to deal with specific issues, such sub-committee shall be ad hoc in nature, with specific, clearly articulated mandate. All sub-committees shall be reviewed annually to determine whether they need to continue. Membership on sub-committees may be expanded to include people who are not advisory committee members, to take advantage of individual expertise. Consistent and continuous attendance and participation of all members in meetings is key. In the event of two consecutive, unexplained absences, the Chair and / or Vice-chair will contact members to confirm interest in participation at the advisory committee level. KITCHENERPage 2 of 3 JUNE 2009 ï ó ë POLICY NUMBER: I-125 SUBJECT: SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE - TERMS OF REFERENCE 3. Quorum A quorum of this Committee is 5 members. 4. Responsibilities a) Act as a forum (through the Committees and its sub-committees) for developing working partnerships between citizens, the community, government, local agencies and organisations, business, and police services. b) Encourage open and inclusive discussion from all members and will support a safe environment to share opinions. c) Advise City Council, or the appropriate Standing Committee of Council, on policies and/or strategies that enhance and maintain a healthy community. Specifically, provide direction to the development and/or strengthening of municipal policies, programs and services relating to community safety and crime prevention. d) Review local issues, propose committee priorities and develop1- 2 year work plans based upon the identified priorities of the Committee and submit same to Council for feedback prior to implementation. In some cases, it may be appropriate to refer to other standing and advisory committees, community groups or staff for action or to establish working groups/sub-committees to address specific issues. e) Hear delegations and provide a forum for community members and/or groups to raise issues of concern related to the committee’s mandate. f) Advise staff (as requested) on related matters in the budgetary planning. g) Liaise with national, provincial and regional groups and committees as appropriate, as well as other Ontario municipalities with respect to research and initiatives related to broad community capacity building. h) Prepare and present, in co-operation with staff, annual progressupdates to the Community Services Committee and Council, including recommendations on priority issues identified by the Committeeand/or community concerns brought to the Committee by Council, community members or groups. i) Conduct a review of the Terms of Reference once every term of Council and submit any changes thereto to Council for ratification. KITCHENERPage 3 of 3 JUNE 2009 ï ó ê