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COMITTEE POLICY
Policy Number
P2025-03
Classification
ADM
Effective Date
2025-02-18
Approval Authority
COUNCIL
Supersedes
NA
Mandated Review
2028
1. PURPOSE
The purpose of the policy is to provide a consistent and transparent framework for the
administration of committees, recruitment, committee governance, etc. and to function as a
guide for committee members and support staff.
2. SCOPE
The policy applies to all committees created by Council. Where conflict occurs between the
policy and other legislation, the legislation will prevail.
3. DEFINITIONS
(1) CAO
means the Chief Administrative Officer of the City's
administration appointed for the City of Bathurst
(2) CITY
means the City of Bathurst
(3) COUNCIL
means the mayor and councillors of the municipality
(4) ADVISORY COMMITTEE means a committee established to provide advice to
Council as mandated in the Terms of Reference
(5) AD-HOC COMMITTEE
means a committee established by recommendation
of Council or established by staff to conduct specific
functions with a primary focus on providing advice
or assistance to staff
(6) INTER-AGENCY
COMMITTEE
means a group comprised of representatives from two
or more agencies or organizations
(7) TERMS OF REFERENCE
means a document outlining mandate/scope and
responsibilities of a particular committee.
4. POLICY STATEMENT
The City of Bathurst acknowledges the value of committees and the advice they provide to
Council. The creation, amendment, dissolution, and administration of committees shall be
conducted in a fair and equitable manner.
5. CREATION, AMENDMENT OR DISSOLUTION
a) Procedure
Council may create a new committee, amend an existing committee, or dissolve a
committee based on the analysis of the following:
i. Council approved staff report recommending establishment of a committee which shall
include an assessment of the following:
(a) Is the existence of this committee required by legislation and regulation
(Federal/Provincial/Municipal)
(b) Is this committee's mandate relevant
(c) Is this committee's mandate achievable
(d) Is this committee's mandate aligned with the corporate strategic plan
(e) Is this committee operating effectively
ii. Public Interest, community support or feedback
b) Creation
i. The creation of a new committee may be triggered by the following factors:
(a) Significant public issues or trends
(b) Where public input is deemed desirable
(c) Legislated requirement (Federal/Provincial/Municipal By-Law)
(d) Staff request
ii. On Council's direction, the appropriate department shall prepare a staff report which
shall include the following:
(a) Public and financial considerations
(b) Impact on other departments and users
(c) Consideration of the Corporate Strategic Plan and departmental goals and
objectives
(d) Proposed Terms of Reference using the Council approved template (Appendix A)
(e) Recommended appointment of appropriate staff resources
c) Amendment
i. Changes to Terms of Reference will be based on Council decisions and may be triggered:
(a) Following the Annual Report to Council and/or initiated by Council
(b) By resolution of the committee
(c) By a recommendation and report by staff
ii. The following factors may be considered when amending a committee's terms of
reference:
(a) Result of annual report which measures progress against mandate
(b) Lack of material purpose, function, or public interest
(c) New issues at Council or public pressure (could add or remove mandate)
(d) Changes to legislation
(e) New Council
iii. A staff report addressing the proposed changes will be prepared by the relevant
department and presented to Council. The report will be analytical in nature and include
specifically:
(a) Indication of which factor led to the amendment
(b) Assessment of the following factors as relevant
i. Is the existence of this committee required by legislation and regulation
(Federal/Provincial/Municipal);
ii. Is this committee's mandate relevant;
iii. Is this committee's mandate achievable;
iv. Is this committee's mandate aligned with the corporate strategic plan;
v. Is this committee operating effectively;
(c) Supporting information; cause/effect, cost analysis and resources required
(d) Impact of terms of reference
d) Dissolution
i.
Dissolution of a Committee may be triggered by one of the following:
(a) Expiration of term
(b) Completion of task or mandate
(c) Resolution of issues
(d) Legislative requirement no longer exists
(e) Merger with another committee
(f) Following the annual review process
(g) Recommendation by Committee by resolution
(h) Recommendation by Staff in Staff Report
ii.
The following steps will be taken following the dissolution of a committee:
(a) Committee will be removed from the active committee list
(b) Thank you letters on behalf of Council will be sent to committee members
(c) Relevant staff members will be informed
6. APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS
a) Nominations
i.
All applications received by the established deadline will be forwarded to all
members of Council and relevant staff, when appropriate, who will be responsible
for reviewing the applications and determining appointments. The applicant review
process will be completed in camera as the process involves reviewing personal
information of the applicants.
ii.
In an election year members of Council shall meet for the first time as soon as
possible after the swearing in meeting of council. Appointments will be made as
soon as reasonably possible at the beginning of a Council term of office.
iii.
The Clerk's Department will notify all applicants of Council's decision and retain
all applications.
7. TERM OF COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS
a) Generally Recruited Community Appointments
i.
Generally recruited community appointments will be appointed for a two-year term
and will be eligible to serve for a maximum of four terms (eight years).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, members will continue to serve until their successors
are appointed by Council. The term of office may be longer if required by the terms
of reference or provincial legislation but shall not exceed the term of Council unless
an exception is granted at Council's discretion.
ii.
Staggered terms will be instituted for members of newly created committees to ensure
continuity and effective governance.
iii.
Participation on a committee is voluntary and will receive no remuneration.
iv.
Mid-term appointments will not be counted in the calculation of the maximum four-
term (eight-year) limit.
v.
All residents, property owners, business owners, employees of businesses in the City
of Bathurst or individuals enrolled in a City of Bathurst campus of a post-secondary
institution shall be eligible to serve on Committees, subject to specific legislative
requirements or requirements in the Council approved terms of reference. Exceptions
can be made at Council's discretion.
vi.
City of Bathurst staff are not eligible to sit as community appointments on City of
Bathurst Committees.
vii.
If a member misses more than three (3) consecutive meetings or 25% of the annual
meetings, the support staff must notify Council. The appointee will be deemed to
have forfeited their committee position subject to an opportunity for the member to
address Council in writing regarding their absenteeism and the committee
Chairperson to do the same. Council reserves the right to make the final decision
regarding ending committee appointments. Council also has the right to terminate the
appointment of any committee member at any time, for cause.
viii.
A member may resign from a committee at any time and the resignation takes effect
as of the date of resignation provided and upon notification to the Clerk's
Department. Council reserves the right to change committee membership at any point
during a committee term.
b) Council Appointments
i.
Council appointments will be for the term of Council.
ii.
Non-appointed council members may attend the meeting of any committee but may
not vote, however, he/she may take part in any discussion or debate in the committee
with the permission of the majority of the members present.
iii.
The Mayor is an ex-officio member of all City of Bathurst Committees and may vote
and participate without restriction.
c) Appointment of Ad-Hoc Committees
An Ad Hoc Committee may be appointed at any time by the Mayor acting upon the
instruction of Council, providing only that a motion has been adopted specifying the
matters to be dealt with by the committee, and including the term of the committee.
d) Mid-term Vacancies
i. A mid-term vacancy may occur if:
(a) a member informs the Clerk's Department in writing of their resignation
(b) a member no longer meets the eligibility requirements
(c) a member misses more than three (3) consecutive meetings or 25% of the annual
meetings without the approval of the committee by resolution and affirmed by
Council.
ii. Mid-term vacancies for all City of Bathurst Committees will be filled in the last quarter
of each year. Appointments will only be made for the remainder of the committee term.
Members appointed mid-way through a committee term will be eligible to serve for a
maximum of 8 years, commencing with their first full two-year term.
8. APPLICATION PROCESS
a) Generally Recruited Community Appointments
i.
Notice of the appointment process for both the beginning of a committee term or
for the filling of vacancies will be published by the Clerk's Department on the City
website.
ii.
The notice shall contain the name of the committee, approximate number of
meetings per year, usual meeting date/time and a brief description of the committee.
iii.
All applicants must complete an application form for each committee they wish to
apply for. The application form may be downloaded from the city website or
obtained from the Clerk's Department. The application form for each committee
will include the terms of reference of the committee and/or applicable legislation
as available. The application form will require applicants to confirm they have read
all documents attached to the specific application.
b) Staff Appointments
i.
Clerical/administrative or technical staff required to support a committee will be
assigned by the by the CAO. Community representatives are not required or
expected to provide administrative support.
ii.
Staff attendance at committees should be kept to a minimum in order to encourage
member participation at meetings.
c) Council Appointments
i.
Members of Council will be given the opportunity to serve on committee(s) of their
choice by self-nomination. Council appointments shall be deliberated and discussed
by all members of Council present at a public meeting of Council and shall not be
discussed or considered in a closed meeting unless authorized by the Local
Governance Act.
ii.
A minimum of one councillor must be appointed to each City of Bathurst
committee.
iii.
Unless specifically required by the Council approved Terms of Reference, no City
of Bathurst committee shall have more than one Councillor appointed.
d) Declaration of Office
Committee members appointed by Council must sign a Declaration of Office. (Appendix
B)
9. ROLES
a) Role of Generally Recruited Community Representative Members:
- To provide needed skill/knowledge areas
- To provide desired representation of interests in the community
b) Role of Committee Chairperson or Acting Chairperson:
- To facilitate and chair the committee meetings
- To bring committee decisions forward to Council as required and speak as the official
representative of the committee on committee approved statements
c) Role of Council Representatives:
- To function as an informal liaison between the committee and Council
- To communicate Council's perspective or Council matters where appropriate
- To provide committee reports to council during a Public Meeting
d) Role of Staff:
- To provide clerical, administrative and/or technical support to the committee as
required including the preparation and distribution of minutes and agendas
- To communicate the Corporate Strategic Plan, committee related policies and
information items, departmental goals and objectives as required
- To provide guidance regarding timelines, workplan initiatives
- To incorporate formal committee comments and resolutions into Staff Reports where
appropriate or where committee advice has been sought
Note:
Staff are not formal members of committees and have no voting privileges, unless otherwise
provided in the Council-approved Terms of Reference.
Committee members are appointed to provide advice to Council and/or to make decisions
as permitted by by-laws or other legislation. Members are not employees or representatives
of the City of Bathurst and may not communicate on behalf of the corporation nor bind the
corporation and shall not utilize City of Bathurst business cards or the like.
Committee members do not direct members from City Administration, nor can they direct
other staff resources. Requests for staff resources must go through the CAO.
10. RULES OF PROCEDURE
The Rules of Procedure for Committees shall be same as Council as set out in the By-Law
Regulating Proceedings for the Municipal Council of the City of Bathurst.
11. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Committee members should avoid being or knowingly placing themselves in situations that may
lead to a conflict of interest or that put their personal interests or those of their relations in conflict
with the sound execution of their duties, tasks, and functions.
12. FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS
The meeting frequency will be dictated in the Council approved Terms of Reference. Meeting
dates and times shall be advertised during recruitment and can be changed upon unanimous vote
of the Committee, during the next recruitment or upon direction of Council.
13. QUORUM
A quorum of consisting of 50% voting members plus one is required for a committee meeting.
14. FIRST MEETING
At the first meeting of a committee term, support staff shall provide a brief orientation session.
Following the orientation, the committee will elect a Chairperson and Acting Chairperson. The
Chairperson shall preside at every meeting. The Acting Chairperson will act in the stead of the
Chairperson, when required, due to the Chairperson's absence or resignation mid-term. Unless
otherwise specified in the Council approved Terms of Reference, the Chairperson and Acting
Chairperson will be Generally Recruited Community Representative Members, not members
of City of Bathurst staff or nominees of other committees or organizations. If Terms of Reference
require a city staff member to chair a committee, the most senior staff member on the committee
will serve as Chairperson.
15. AGENDA ITEMS
a) Committees may meet to discuss matters pertinent to their Council approved Terms
of Reference or as referred to the committee by Council. The agenda will be
developed in conjunction with the support staff and Chairperson of the committee.
b) Committees shall not consider personnel matters but shall forward any such
concerns to the relevant department head or the CAO as appropriate.
c) Committees shall not provide advice or information to external boards, committees,
agencies, organizations, or other government bodies without the prior approval of
Council.
16. AGENDAS AND MINUTES
Agendas, minutes, and relevant discussion items shall be distributed to all committee members at
least three (3) days in advance of the meeting. Committee agendas shall be posted on the City of
Bathurst website in advance of the meeting and Minutes shall be posted within 14 days of being
approved.
17. REPORTING TO COUNCIL
a) Committee minutes will be placed on the Council agenda for information only.
b) The decisions in committee which are to be recommended to council for approval
shall be in writing and reported as consensus decisions.
c) The name of the Chairperson shall appear upon all reports and recommendations
made by the committee.
d) No report or recommendation to do with any matter or thing shall be recognized as
emanating from any committee of council members unless it is in writing, nor
unless it bears the name of the Chairperson or Acting Chairperson and has been
certified correct by the Clerk.
e) Advisory Committees will submit an annual report to Council at a special annual
"Committee Night" to be established in the annual Council/Committee schedule.
f) The annual report will include:
i.
An overview of the activities of the committee during the previous year.
ii.
Their intended direction or projects for the upcoming year.
iii.
Recommended revisions, as necessary, to their terms of reference.
g) Council, upon receiving the annual reports, may provide direction to the committee,
determine if amendments to the Terms of Reference are required or determine the
advisability of the committee continuing.
h) An additional committee networking and information sharing event shall be held
once a year targeted at sharing information amongst committees on projects or
initiatives to date.
i) The committee through the Committee Chairperson may elect to address Council
as a delegation or provide communication to Council on behalf of the Committee
at any point throughout the year. Unless mandated by Council, Committees will not
speak on behalf of the City or make representations on behalf of the City without
Council approval.
18. BUDGET
Funding for Committees will be established as part of the City of Bathurst budget process when
applicable.
19. EXTERNAL BOARDS AND COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS
a) From time-to-time Council is requested to provide representation on External
Boards and Committees. All appointments to external boards and committees
including those of a provincial or national scope, must be approved by Council
resolution.
b) To the extent possible, members of Council and staff serving on external boards,
committees, project teams, etc. will follow and abide by the principles and
procedures set out in this policy.
c) When serving on external boards, etc. members of Council and staff acknowledge
that they represent the City, and the views expressed may be perceived as the views
of the City.
20. COMPLIANCE
In cases of policy violation, the City may investigate and determine appropriate corrective action.
21. RELATED POLICIES
- Workplace Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Policy
- Purchasing Policy
22. RELATED LEGISLATION
- A By-Law Regulating Proceedings of Municipal Council for The City Of Bathurst
- By-Law Establishing a Code of Conduct for Elected Officials
23. RELATED DOCUMENTS
- Terms of Reference
- Declaration of Office
24. REVISION HISTORY
Date
(mm/dd/yyyy)
Description
of Change
Sections
Person who
Entered Revision
(Position Title)
Person who
Authorized
Revision (Position
Title)
Appendix A
Terms of Reference Template
[Insert Advisory Board or Committee Name] Terms of Reference
Date Approved by Council:
Mandate:
[Insert High Level Overview of Purpose of Committee]
Goals/Objectives:
[Insert high level overview of how mandate will be achieved]
Reporting to Council:
[Insert how the Committee reports to Council, for example through the Annual Committee Night
or through Audit Committee Memo's to Council, circulation of decisions etc.]
Meeting Procedures
[Insert how meetings will be conducted, requests to appear, how to make presentations, etc.]
Enabling Legislation, By-Law, or Staff Report:
[Insert Legislation or By-Law that requires Committee or the Staff Report Number and the date
to Council]
Committee Composition:
[Bullet List of Membership, indicate how many general members to be recruited, how many
members of Council and if there are specific representatives of external organizations being
sought]
Skills Requested:
[Insert Skills that would be considered an asset for the recruitment of the general committee
members]
Administration Section
Department Linkage: [Insert name of Department that is aligned/administers this Committee]
Support staff: [Insert how many staff will attend to provide support and what role]
Meeting Frequency: [Insert estimated meeting frequency]
Code of Conduct: [to be inserted by City Clerk]
Legislative Services Review Date: [to be completed by City Clerk]
Conforms to the City Policy: [to be completed by City Clerk]
Appendix B
Declaration of Office
I ________________________________________ do solemnly promise and declare that I will
truly, faithfully and impartially, to the best of my knowledge and ability execute the position of
Committee member, to which I have been appointed in this City, that I have not received and
will not receive any payment, or promise thereof, as a result of my appointment, and that I will
disclose any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect. I will abide by the relevant Code of Conduct,
the Committee Policy, Workplace Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Policy, the
Regulating Proceedings of Municipal Council for the City of Bathurst By-Law, Purchasing Policy
and any other relevant policies or by-laws.
Signature: Date: