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## 1. Policy Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide clear roles and responsibilities related to the appointment of persons to committees, internally and externally, and to provide specific directions for the actions of the work of committee members and staff.
## 2. Policy Goal
The goal of this policy is to provide clarity on the role of each member of the committee, their duties and responsibilities to participate fairly and without bias, to participate in good faith always with the best interest of the community at the forefront, and to be a positive and respectful participant at meetings and in the public.
## 3. Definitions
- a. "Council" means council of the Town of Kentville.
- b. "Elected Official" means a person elected to council under the Municipal Elections Act and who continues to so act and has not been removed by law.
- c. "Employee" means a person duly appointed by the Chief Administrative Officer to carry out a legal function of the Town, and is financially compensated, but does not include an elected official or officer of the municipality.
- d. "Member" means a person duly appointed by council and continues to meet the minimum requirements of the appointment and has not been removed from the committee.
- e. "Officer" means a person duly appointed to an arms-length role with the Town including a municipal solicitor, municipal auditor, or similar position.
- f. "Town" shall mean Town of Kentville.
## Policy 100 COUNCIL AND COMMITTEES OF COUNCIL
## 4. Legislation
Section 23(2) of the Municipal Government Act states that the council may, by policy, require that where a council member is nominated or appointed by the council to a board, commission or other position or is otherwise appointed as a representative of the municipality, any remuneration from that position, excluding reimbursement of expenses, to which that council member is entitled shall be paid to the municipality.
Section 24 of the Municipal Government Act states that
- (1) The council may establish standing, special and advisory committees.
- (2) Each committee shall perform the duties conferred on it by this Act, any other Act of the Legislature or the by-laws or policies of the municipality.
- (3) The council may appoint persons who are not members of the council to a committee and may establish a procedure for doing so.
- (4) A committee shall operate in accordance with the procedures provided in this Act and the procedural policy for the council applies to committees unless the council, by policy, decides otherwise.
- (5) A member of a committee established by the council who is a council member is not entitled to additional remuneration for serving on the committee but may be reimbursed for expenses incurred as a committee member.
- (6) A committee member who is not a council member may be (a) paid an annual honorarium for serving on the committee, as determined by the council by policy, and an honorarium may be a different amount if the person is chair of a committee and honorariums may differ for different committees; and
7. (b) reimbursed for expenses incurred as a committee member.
- (7) Where a council member is appointed to a committee, board or commission as a representative of the council, the council member's appointment ceases if and when person ceases to be a council member.
Section 23(2) of the Municipal Government Act states that the council may, by policy, require that where a council member is nominated or appointed by the council to a board, commission or other position or is otherwise appointed as a representative of the municipality, any remuneration from that position, excluding reimbursement of expenses, to which that council member is entitled shall be paid to the municipality.
## Section 44 of the Police Act states that
- (1) Every municipality that establishes a municipal police department pursuant to Section 36, 84 or 85 shall, by by-law, provide for a board of police commissioners.
- (2) Where a municipal police department is established pursuant to Section
3. 36, the board consists of five or seven members.
- (3) A five-member board appointed pursuant to subsection (2) consists of
5. (a) two members of council appointed by resolution of the council;
6. (b) two members appointed by resolution of the council, who are neither members of council nor employees of the municipality; and
7. (C) one member appointed by the Minister.
- (4) A seven-member board appointed pursuant to subsection (1) consists of
9. (a) three members of council appointed by resolution of the council;
10. (b) three members appointed by resolution of the council, who are neither members of council nor employees of the municipality; and
11. (c) one member appointed by the Minister.
- (6) The chief officer and the chief administrative officer of the municipality must receive notice of the meetings of the board and are entitled to attend such meetings but not to vote.
- (7) A member of a board may be dismissed by
14. (a) the Minister, if the Minister appointed the member; or
15. (b) resolution of municipal council, if the council appointed the member.
## 5. Appointments to Committees and Removal from Committees
- a. All appointments to committees under the authority and legal jurisdiction of the Town shall be made by council, based on a recommendation from the nominating committee. Similarly, all persons recommended to be removed from committees, or removed from Chairperson or Vice Chairperson position, must be made based on a recommendation from the nominating committee and approved by council, including replacements thereof.
- b. Members appointed to Committees shall be eligible for appointment for up to two consecutive two-year terms; after which they must have at least a two-year break before being eligible for re-appointment.
- c. No employee shall be appointed as a voting member of any committee, but may attend as a staff resource person, subject to approval of the Chief Administrative Officer.
- d. No officers of the town shall be appointed to any committee for which they are contracted or engaged to provide the same or similar services.
- e. The Mayor shall be an ex-officio member of all committees for which they are not formally appointed as a member.
## 6. Appointment as Chairperson and Vice Chairperson
Each committee shall designate a person to be the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of their committee, and in the absence of such appointments, Council shall make such appointments at their first duly called meeting after such vacancies occur on a recommendation of the nominating committee. No appointments as Chairperson or Vice Chairperson shall be for more than two years at a time.
## 7. Conflict of Interest
Pursuant to the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, no elected official shall be appointed to any internal or external committee for which they know, or should have known, they the member would at all or most parts of the time during such committee meetings or work of the committee, be in a conflict of interest based on the criteria set out on the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.
## 8. Advertisement for Committee Position Vacancies
All vacancies on committees that are authorized to be appointed by council, shall be advertised publicly for a minimum of three weeks in various methods, as determined by the Chief Administrative Officer, including positions where persons are interested and eligible for re-appointment.
## 9. Regular Meetings of Council and Council Advisory Committee
Notwithstanding the conditions set out in Meeting Postponements, each month, a regular meeting of council advisory committee shall take place on the second Monday beginning at 5:00 p.m., and a regular council meeting shall take place on the fourth Monday of each month, at 5:00 p.m., excepting the council meeting in December which shall be held on the third Monday. Should any of these meetings fall on an observed holiday, or because of a deemed emergency by the mayor, then the meeting shall be held on the following day, or next appropriate day to do so as authorized by the mayor.
## 10. Meeting Postponements
No regular meetings of council shall take during the month of August in each year, but special meetings may be called according to legislation.
## 11. Remuneration
- a. Elected officials appointed to committees shall not receive any additional remuneration but are entitled to claim meeting expenses according to the Town's policy for such.
- b. Members appointed to committees shall receive remuneration of $300 per year as an honorarium plus eligible meeting and training expenses subject to approval of the Chief Administrative Officer, with the honorarium paid in December of each year. Members appointed during a year shall receive the prorated portion of the honorarium for that particular year.
## 12. Rules of Order
Council shall at all times follow Robert's Rules of Order, 12th Edition, for the conduct of its meetings, including committee meetings.
## 13. Code of Conduct
All elected officials and members of committees shall be subject to the Town's Code of Conduct Policy in effect at that time.
## 14. Repeal
- a. Policy GIA, Police Commission Board Members Policy Statement, approved on the 17th day of January 2017, is hereby repealed.
- b. Policy GIB, Kentville Water Commission Board Members Policy Statement, approved on the 17th day of January 2017, is hereby repealed.
- c. Policy G6, Non Council Honorariums, approved on the 17th day of January 2017, is hereby repealed.
- d. Policy G45, Cancellation of Regular Council and Council Advisory Committee Meetings, approved on the 17th day of January 2017, is hereby repealed.
- e. Policy G57, Committees of Council, approved on the 30th day of September, 2019, and the 27th day of January 2020, is hereby repealed.
- f. Policy G70, Council Meetings Policy including Annexes A, B, C, and D, approved on the 24th day of June 2019, is hereby repealed.
- g. Policy G81, Committees, Commissions, and Boards, approved on the 28th day of April, 2025, is hereby repealed.
Seven Day Notice of Policy:
Council Approval:
In Effect:
July 14, 2025
September 29, 2025
October 1, 2025
This is to certify that Policy 100, Council and Committees of Council was approved by town council on the 1st day of October, 2025.
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Mayor
Chis Mihill
Chief Administrative Officer