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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCRPS-10-001 - Environmental Committee Recommendation - Terms of ReferenceREPORT REPORT TO: Councillor B. Vrbanovic, Chair and Members of the Finance and Corporate Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: January 11, 2010 SUBMITTED BY: Environmental Committee PREPARED BY: Colin Goodeve, Committee Administrator - ext 2278 WARD(S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: December 18, 2009 REPORT NO.: CRPS-10-001 SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION - COUNCIL POLICY I-100 (ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE - TERMS OF REFERENCE) RECOMMENDATION: That Council Policy I-100 (Environmental Committee - Terms of Reference) be repealed and replaced with the revised Policy I-100 attached to Corporate Services Department report CRPS-10-001. BACKGROUND: In October 2006, Council approved “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, such as 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, to review the City’s advisory committees. Subsequently, a working group was appointed and began the review process in 2007. Specifically, this initiative considered:the alignment of the 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. Resultant to that 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 those recommendations was for each advisory committee to complete a review of their Terms of Reference for clarity and relevance of mandate; and, submit recommendations to Council regarding their Terms prior to the end of June 2010. REPORT: thth In accordance with Council’s direction, at the November 19 and December 17 Environmental Committee meetings, the Committee considered draft revisions to Council Policy I-100 (Environmental Committee - Terms of Reference). Members generally expressed support for í ó ï the draft Terms of Reference, suggesting minor revisions to its format, the Committee’s composition and membership on sub-committees. The revised Terms of Reference was developed based on an identification of best practices employed by other municipal environmental advisory committees. The draft Terms includes a revised purpose and scope for the Committee identifying its role in promoting the protection, maintenance and enhancement of the environment in a manner consistent with the City of Kitchener Strategic Plan for the Environment. Linking the Terms of Reference to the Strategic Planensures that the actions undertaken by the Committee are consistent with the City’s overall environmental objectives. The draft Terms of Reference has been attached to this report and the Environmental Committee is requesting Council’s endorsement of the recommendation outlined herein. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: N/A ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Troy Speck, General Manager of Corporate Services í ó î COUNCIL POLICY RESOLUTION : POLICY NUMBER: I-100 DATEMAY 27, 2002 AMENDED: SEPTEMBER 20, 2004 POLICY TYPE: BOARD and COMMITTEE SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE - TERMS OF REFERENCE POLICY CONTENT: 1. PURPOSE 1.1. To provide information and advice to Council on environmental issues within the scope of the Municipality. 1.2. To promote the protection, maintenance and enhancement of the environment in a manner consistent with the City of Kitchener Strategic Plan for the Environment. 1.3. To be a catalyst for local initiatives that promotes environmental sustainability, integrity and conservation of the City’s resources and ecosystems as well as to provide input to protect, maintain, restore and enhance the environment within the Municipality. 2. RESPONSIBILITIES 2.1. To participate within working groups designed to carry out the Environmental Committee’s work program and other corporate environmental initiatives assigned to the Committee; and as necessary, report on any changes to their scope or priority. 2.2. To consider matters referred to the Environmental Committee on policies, projects and programs, and when necessary, make recommendations to the Development & Technical Services Committee. 2.3. To serve as a forum for delegations to provide public input on environmental matters within the scope of the issues being considered by the Environmental Committee, and where appropriate, make recommendations to the Development & Technical Services Committee. 2.4. To assist in the promotion of initiatives related to green space, environmental restoration, environmental rehabilitation and enhancement projects. 2.5. To undertake educational initiatives both formally and informally to raise the profile of the environment and to further the public understanding of environmental issues. KITCHENER Page 1 of 5 DECEMBER 2009 í ó í POLICY NUMBER: I-100 SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE - TERMS OF REFERENCE 2. RESPONSIBILITIES (Cont’d) 2.6. To co-operate with, but avoid duplicating, the activities of other committees or organizations. 3. COMPOSITION 3.1. The Environmental Committee shall be comprised of one member of Council and ten (10) or eleven (11) members of the public appointed by Council. 3.2. Quorum for Environmental Committee meetings is five (5) members. Appointments 3.3. Appointments shall be based on an applicant’s demonstrated interest and participation in environmental matters, academic qualification, work experience, knowledge and professional expertise. How an applicant’s knowledge and skills complement the expertise of the Environmental Committee and availability to attend meetings and serve on various sub-committees shall also be considered. 3.4. Optimally, two-thirds of the Environmental Committee shall have formal training in an environmental discipline. 3.5. Members are appointed as individuals and not as representatives of their respective employers or interest groups. 3.6. Members are appointed to the Environmental Committee for a term of two (2) years with eligibility for re-appointment for a maximum of two (2) additional terms, totalling six (6) consecutive years on the Committee. 3.7. In the event that a member misses three (3) consecutive meetings without an acceptable reason, the individual’s appointment to the Environmental Committee may be rescinded by Council. Chair & Vice-Chair 3.8. The Chair and Vice-Chair of the Environmental Committee shall be elected from among the members at the first meeting of each calendar year. 3.9. Where necessary, the Chair and the Committee Administrator will confer to ascertain an appropriate course of action to dispense with a matter being considered by the Environmental Committee. Sub-Committees 3.10. Where the Environmental Committee feels that a sub-committee is required, said sub-committee is to be ad hoc in nature with a mandate to address specific environmental issues. 3.11. Each sub-committee’s mandate is to be reviewed annually to determine whether it needs to continue. KITCHENER Page 2 of 5 DECEMBER 2009 í ó ì POLICY NUMBER: I-100 SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE - TERMS OF REFERENCE 3. COMPOSITION (Cont’d) Sub-Committees 3.12. The Chair and/or Vice-Chair may be considered alternate members of all sub- committees allowing them to attend a sub-committee meeting in place of one of its appointed members when it is deemed crucial to advance the Environmental Committee’s business. 3.13. Membership on a sub-committee shall not meet or exceed quorum (no more than four (4) members). 3.14. Each member of the Environmental Committee shall endeavour to be a member of at least one sub-committee. 3.15. All sub-committees are required to report to the Environmental Committee in a timely fashion with their findings/recommendations upon meeting the objectives specified in their mandates. 3.16. Where deemed necessary by the Environmental Committee, sub-committees may also be established to assist and co-ordinate activities such as Environment Day, Environmental Assessment (EA) Working Groups, Kitchener Natural Areas Program, etc… 4. MEETINGS 4.1. Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Municipal Code Chapter 25 (Procedures) as adopted by Council. 4.2. The Environmental Committee shall endeavour to meet monthly, except July and August (up to ten (10) meetings per year). 4.3. Meetings shall commence at 4:00 p.m., with a goal of being a maximum of two (2) hours in duration. 4.4. Pursuant to Chapter 25 (Procedures), all meetings are open to the public, except as permitted by the Municipal Act, 2001. 4.5. Pursuant to Chapter 25 (Procedures), every member present at a meeting when a question is put shall vote thereon, unless prohibited by Council Policy I-05 (Code of Conduct), in which case it will be recorded accordingly. Any member who refuses to vote will be recorded as voting in the negative. In the event of an equality of votes, the question being voted on is deemed to be lost. Agenda 4.6. The meeting agenda will be drafted by staff from the Office of the City Clerk in consultation with Environmental Planning staff, the Environmental Committee Chair and/or Vice-Chair at least two (2) weeks prior to the meeting. KITCHENER Page 3 of 5 DECEMBER 2009 í ó ë POLICY NUMBER: I-100 SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE - TERMS OF REFERENCE 4. MEETINGS (Cont’d) Minutes 4.7. Minutes shall be kept by the Committee Administrator and will be distributed to all members of Council and the Corporate Management Team. Delegations 4.8. Delegations shall address the Environmental Committee with respect to matters listed on the agenda for a maximum of five (5) minutes. Where a delegation consists of five (5) or more persons, it may be permissible for two (2) spokespersons to address the Environmental Committee, each of whom shall be granted a maximum of five (5) minutes. 4.9. Speakers will be requested not to repeat what has been stated by previous speakers addressing the Environmental Committee. 4.10. All presentation materials to be considered by the Environmental Committee shall be legible, in writing and filed whenever possible with the Office of the City Clerk no later than two (2) days prior to the finalization of the respective agenda and shall be included as part of the support material attached to the agenda. 5. ETHICS Code of Conduct 5.1. All members of Council, local boards and advisory committees must operate in accordance with Council Policy I-05 (Code of Conduct). 5.2. Members shall be committed to performing their functions with integrity and to avoid the improper use of the influence of their office, and conflicts of interest, both real and apparent. 5.3. Members are expected to perform their duties in office and arrange their private affairs in a manner that promotes public confidence and will bear close public scrutiny. 5.4. Members are responsible for making honest statements and no member shall make a statement when they know that statement is false, or with the intent to mislead other members or the public. 5.5. Members shall seek to serve the public interest by upholding both the letter and the spirit of the laws and policies established by the Federal Parliament, Ontario Legislature, and Kitchener City Council. KITCHENER Page 4 of 5 DECEMBER 2009 í ó ê POLICY NUMBER: I-100 SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE - TERMS OF REFERENCE 6. REPORTING 6.1. The Environmental Committee is anadvisory committee established by Kitchener City Council in accordance with these adopted Terms of Reference. Environmental Committee members are bound by these Terms of Reference and are responsible to Council. 6.2. The Environmental Committee reports to the Development & Technical Services Committee unless the Councillor Liaison, in consultation with the Committee Administrator, deems it expedient that a report be made directly to Council. KITCHENER Page 5 of 5 DECEMBER 2009 í ó é