REPORT TO COUNCIL
ADVISORY BODY TASK FORCE
Date: November 5, 2003
Author/Local: Nancy Largent/604-873-7104
RTS No. 3488
CC File No. 3133
Meeting Date: December 11, 2003
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TO: |
Standing Committee on Planning and Environment |
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FROM: |
Advisory Body Task Force |
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SUBJECT: |
Review of Advisory Bodies |
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendations for All Advisory Bodies
A. THAT Staff follow up on the commitment to improvements for all City Advisory Bodies:
· City Clerk to offer a training program for advisory body Chairs and Vice-chairs on how to run meetings and deal with conflict;
· City Clerk's Office, in consultation with Advisory Body Chairs and Staff Liaisons, to develop and deliver new member orientation and training;
· Public Involvement Coordinator to provide an introduction for all new committee members on the City's principles and guidelines for public involvement;
· Public Involvement Coordinator to provide staff with information on advisory body work plans and roles as part of the City's Corporate Public Involvement Program;
· Civic staff to be given training in ways to make effective use of volunteer committees, e.g. appropriate orientation materials, timing of document distribution.
B. THAT In order to improve the effectiveness of Committee membership, Council select members with appropriate expertise and experience and adopt the selection criteria set out in Appendix A of the Advisory Body Task Force report, except where otherwise provided in legislation establishing an advisory body.
C. THAT Council develop an appointment process based on the selection criteria referenced in Appendix A and appoint a nominating Sub-Committee of Councillors to screen applications using those criteria, and that the City Clerk be instructed to work out the details of the selection process for Council's consideration, taking into account the possible roles of Committee Chairs and Liaison Staff,
D. THAT the Advisory Bodies, in consultation with staff, develop outreach programs to better engage the community in the nomination process, and to encourage more diverse representation.
E. THAT The City Clerk's Office invite all prospective candidates for appointment to information sessions to help them become aware of the commitments and responsibilities of being on an Advisory Body of Council.
Recommendations for Bodies Dealing with Access and Integration Issues:
F. THAT The Special Advisory Committees on Cultural Communities, Disability Issues and Seniors be re-established and re-named as follows:
_ Advisory Committee on Diversity Issues (formerly Cultural Communities);
_ Advisory Committee on Disability Issues; and
_ Advisory Committee on Seniors' Issues.
G. THAT The revised mandates of the Advisory Committees on Disability Issues, Diversity Issues and Seniors' Issues, set out in Appendix A, be approved in order to improve the Committees' focus, to clarify their roles, and to better integrate their work plans with City programs.
H. THAT The Advisory Committees on Disability Issues, Diversity issues and Seniors' Issues create annual work plans integrated with City initiatives after meeting with Council liaisons and department Liaison Staff to identify opportunities for involvement, and submit annual reports to Council to summarize their accomplishments.
I. THAT The Advisory Committees on Disability Issues, Diversity Issues and Seniors' Issues act as a conduit for improved information sharing and communication between the committees, Council, staff and their "communities", using methods such as:
_ Creating work plans and integrating them with staff work programs;
_ Holding quarterly meetings in community centres or similar venues;
_ Holding the annual event referenced in Recommendation K; and
_ Using methods such as posting advisory body minutes on the City Website and creating list-servers.
J. THAT The Advisory Committees on Disability Issues, Diversity Issues and Seniors' Issues promote awareness of access and integration issues for persons with disabilities, members of diverse communities, and seniors, inside and outside of City Hall. For this purpose, Committee Chairs and Staff Liaisons of all three committees should meet bi-annually (at a minimum) to share information and coordinate initiatives such as the annual event and quarterly meetings in the community referenced in the following Recommendation K.
K. THAT In order to provide adequate resources for outreach and information sharing, Council approve an annual budget of $12,000, managed by the City Clerk and Staff Liaisons, for the Advisory Committees on Diversity Issues, Disability Issues and Seniors' Issues for the planning and implementation of an annual event incorporating outreach activities and information sharing, holding quarterly meetings in the community, and promoting awareness of community access and integration issues. Source of funds is to be the 2004 Operating Budget, without offsets. The City Clerk will report back to Council if the level of funding proves insufficient, or difficulties in disbursement arise.
L. THAT In order to improve awareness and involvement of typically under-represented groups in City programs, the Advisory Committee on Diversity Issues, Disability Issues and Senior's Issues be mandated in their Terms of Reference to view City programs and policies through a variety of lenses, including gender, racial origins, income levels, sexual orientation, age and levels of ability.
Bicycle Advisory Committee
M. THAT Council approve minor changes to the mandate of the Bicycle Advisory Committee set out in Appendix B, in order to standardize its format and simplify the appointment process.
Planning and Heritage-related bodies
N. THAT The following planning and heritage-related bodies should be reviewed within the context of various participatory initiatives soon to be addressed by Council, including the Vancouver Electoral Reform Commission and related issues around neighbourhood involvement:
· Chinatown Historic Area Planning Committee;
_ Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee;
_ First Shaughnessy Advisory Design Panel;
_ Public Art Committee;
_ Vancouver City Planning Commission;
_ Vancouver Heritage Commission.
Guidelines for Creating new Task Forces and Committees
- · Task Forces are most useful to provide timely, focused input to Council on emerging issues or new policy questions (e.g. Cool Vancouver);
· Task Forces are generally time-limited;
· Task Forces are most effective when recommendations fall within the City's jurisdiction and have a reasonable number of recommendations that are prioritized, and have some sense of costs; and
· There should be reports back on task force results and effectiveness. - · It is best to determine the need for an ongoing Committee through a preliminary review by a task force or other audit process, as there may be several options for involvement;
· Committees can be a useful source of advice for ongoing issues, particularly when tied to staff work programs, and can be used for sharing information and raising awareness around issues;
· Committees require appropriate levels of resourcing to be effective, and the creation of any new public involvement initiative, including Committees, results in choices around the allocation of City resources.
O. THAT Council adopt the following guidelines for creating committees and task forces, and the Task Force report back with any necessary refinements when the Advisory Body Review is complete:
Task Forces
Committees
Acknowledgement
P. THAT Council dissolve the membership of the following Advisory Bodies effective with the appointment of new members for 2004/2005:
· Special Advisory Committee on Cultural Communities;
· Special Advisory Committee on Disability Issues;
· Special Advisory Committee on Seniors;
· Bicycle Advisory Committee.
Q. THAT the terms of members of the following advisory bodies which serve for 2-year terms, who were appointed for the 2002-2003 term prior to the commencement of the Review, be extended until December 2004 if they wish to serve, and that the remaining positions be advertised in the usual manner:
· Chinatown Historic Area Planning Committee;
· Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee;
· First Shaughnessy Advisory Design Panel;
· Fire and Rescue Services Citizens' Advisory Committee;
· Public Art Committee;
· Vancouver Heritage Commission.
R. THAT Council thank the advisory bodies for their service during the course of the Advisory Body Review.
CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The City Manager supports the foregoing recommendations, noting that these changes will help to facilitate genuine and effective citizen input. As the report notes, staff resources are scarce. Therefore, the City Manager supports revisions to the Advisory Committees' mandates to make them more proactive, self-reliant and accountable. Staff will provide the required assistance to ensure adequate training and liaison.
The City Manager RECOMMENDS approval of Recommendations A to R, inclusive.
INTRODUCTION
City Council created the Advisory Body Task Force on January 16, 2003 to review topic and area-based advisory bodies, in order to assess the effectiveness of this form of civic engagement.
Task Force Members
Councillor Ellen Woodsworth, Chair
Councillor Tim Louis
Councillor Anne Roberts
Gwen Brodsky, Public Representative
Joan Seidl, Public Representative
Jacquie Forbes-Roberts, General Manager of Community Services
Syd Baxter, City Clerk
Staff Support Team
Ann McAfee, Co-Director of Planning/Director of City Plans
Janice MacKenzie, Director of Legislative Services
Michael White, Planner II
Rajpal Kohli, Equal Employment Opportunity Advisor
Nancy Largent, Public Involvement Coordinator.
In carrying out its work, the Task Force has discovered that there are many ways for people to engage with the City, in addition to advisory bodies. Within this context, a significant value-added role for advisory bodies is to improve communication and public input around key issues and increase awareness of emerging trends. There are a number of recommendations in this report that aim to enhance the role of existing advisory bodies, particularly those that deal with seniors, persons with disabilities and "diverse" communities. Advisory bodies dealing with planning and heritage-related issues will be dealt with in a future stage of this review.
Many of the existing advisory bodies were created to address current issues or provide perspectives on developing policies. As broader public input is brought to bear on issues, or policies are incorporated into the City's regular way of doing business, Council may wish to take the opportunity to focus advisory body resources on other, newly emerging issues or areas of concern. Council has the opportunity at the beginning of each three-year Council term to re-create the existing advisory bodies, or to create new ones, or to direct existing resources to other initiatives. Reviewing committee accomplishments and acknowledging future needs at the beginning of a Council term will help Council in making this decision.
Advisory bodies are made up of volunteer members with their own lives and jobs to lead. In addition to the committee duties they take on for the City, they often have other on-going volunteer commitments in the community. Like any other form of public involvement, committees need to be appropriately focused and resourced to be effective. To respect the volunteers' time and the allocation of City's resources, the decision to create an advisory body needs to be thoughtfully considered to ensure that this form of public engagement is the best way to address the issue at hand. This report includes a set of guidelines for Council to use when considering the creation of future advisory bodies.
The purposes of this report are:
· to report back on proposed improvements for all committees;
· to recommend that Council adopt a series of improvements for committees dealing with issues of "access and integration", that is, how the public is represented on and by the committees and how their work is integrated into City decision-making;
· to propose an approach for addressing heritage and planning committees at a later time; and
· to recommend that Council adopt a series of guidelines for the creation of future City advisory bodies, to be refined over the course of the review.
BACKGROUND
During a Council term, there are typically more than twenty Council-appointed advisory bodies (see below). Some are required by legislation, such as the Board of Variance and Family Court/Youth Justice Committee. Others were created by Council over the years to advise on particular issues, including Council's three Special Advisory Committees (Seniors, Disability Issues, and Cultural Communities).
The following table illustrates the range of advisory bodies.
Bodies Fully Integrated into City processes or Required by Legislation |
Topic and Area-Based Bodies |
Non-profit Foundations |
Library Board;
____________________________
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Access and Integration Bodies:
Planning and Heritage Related Bodies:
New Committee:
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Vancouver Heritage Foundation
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In 1996, the City initiated the Public Involvement Review to review and improve the ways in which citizens participate in City programs and processes. The Review included an examination of Council's Advisory Committees. The consultant team which conducted the review found a wide variation in the performance of the committees, in terms of understanding and pursuing mandates, necessary Council and staff support, member selection and representativeness, and member orientation and training.
In 2002, staff conducted a committee member/staff survey, a workshop with committee chairs, and a workshop with the previous Council. The results found that the committees that are more integrated into City processes have less confusion about role and mandate and therefore function more effectively.
In January, 2003, Vancouver City Council created the Advisory Body Task Force to review the effectiveness of this form of public consultation and to recommend options for improvement.
SUMMARY
In January, 2003, Vancouver City Council created the Advisory Body Task Force to review the effectiveness of advisory bodies as a form of public consultation and to recommend options for improvement. Council directed the Task Force to approach the review by advisory body type, recognizing that the more integrated committees and non-profit foundations would require a different approach than topic and area-based committees. The former need mostly functional improvements related to training and orientation and the latter require a more comprehensive review owing to the fundamental questions around the bodies' roles and mandates. As such, the Task Force has approached the review in four parts.
I. Functional Improvements for all Council Advisory Bodies
Functional improvements, such as training and orientation, were identified through earlier consultations as areas needing improvement. At the creation of the Task Force, Council directed staff to begin implementation of these improvements. A training and orientation program has been developed in this phase of the review that will benefit all Council advisory bodies.
In addition, actions have been identified to improve the effectiveness of committee membership. These include recommendations for selection criteria stressing expertise and representation, establishment of a nominating Sub-Committee of Council members, outreach programs to better engage the community and encourage more diverse membership, and orientation sessions for prospective applicants.
II. Improvements to Bodies Focused on Access and Integration Issues 1
The second part of the Task Force review comprises a series of recommendations. This is the main focus of the Task Force's first report.
a) Report out on improvements that clarify the focus and operation of Seniors, Disability Issues and Cultural Communities Committees (the Task Force recommends that the latter to be renamed Diversity Issues);
b) Propose a way to improve awareness of and involvement of typically under-represented groups including Aboriginals, people living on low incomes, and the lesbian/gay/ transgender/bisexual communities in City programs. 2
III. Improvements to Planning and Heritage-Related Bodies
The Task Force is mandated to review a number of heritage and planning-related bodies. However, the Task Force recommends that these bodies be reviewed within the context of various participatory initiatives soon to be addressed by Council, including the Vancouver Electoral Reform Commission and related issues around neighbourhood involvement. Council has begun discussion of these issues which will continue into next year. Since it will be some time before the Planning and Heritage-Related bodies are reviewed, the Task Force recommends that new members be appointed at this time.
IV. Guidelines for the Creation of Future Committees and Task Forces
The Task Force has drafted a set of guidelines to help Council decide whether a task force or ongoing committee is the most appropriate technique to address a given issue. The Task Force recommends that Council adopt these guidelines now and that the Task Force report back with any necessary refinements when the Advisory Body Review is complete.
V. Resources
A budget has been identified to carry out additional work arising from the recommendations of the Task Force.
DISCUSSION
I. IMPROVEMENTS FOR ALL ADVISORY BODIES
The Task Force has been working with staff on implementing a number of improvements that apply to all City advisory bodies. To be effective, committees need members with appropriate skills and experience. The Task Force believes that the proposed improvements to member training and orientation will go a long way in improving member effectiveness. In addition, the Task Force is recommending a more thoughtful screening and selection process for all advisory bodies, as well as improving ongoing communication with staff and Council. The Task Force also notes that some of the improvements that are recommended for the access and integration committees, noted below, may also be appropriate for other City advisory bodies.
(a) Proposed Actions: Training and Orientation
1. City Clerk to offer a training program for committee chairs and vice-chairs on how to run meetings and deal with conflict.
2. Committee Chairs, the City Clerk's Office and Staff Liaisons to develop and deliver new member orientation and training.
3. Public Involvement Coordinator to provide an introduction for all new committee members on the City's principles and guidelines for public involvement.
4. Public Involvement Coordinator to provide civic staff with information on committee work plans and roles as part of the City's Corporate Public Involvement Program;
5. Civic staff to be given training in ways to make effective use of volunteer committees, e.g. appropriate orientation materials, timing of document distribution.
Costs for the foregoing can be absorbed in the City Clerk's Office budget.
(b) Proposed Actions: Improve Effectiveness of Committee Membership
1. Select Members with Appropriate Experience and Expertise
A list of selection criteria has been developed, for Council adoption, to assist Council with committee selection process (Appendix A). To be effective, the Task Force believes that all committee members need to be able to demonstrate knowledge, abilities and skills appropriate to the work of the committee as jointly described by the committee chair and/or members and the staff with whom the committee works. A majority of members will be nominated by community groups working on issues related to the committee mandate. However, unless otherwise specified in the mandate of an individual committee, members will not represent nominating groups, but will only reflect their issues.
Coupled with this is the need for committees and liaison staff to develop outreach programs to better engage the community in the nomination process. Currently, communities become aware of nominations primarily through advertisements in local papers. In consultation with the Advisory Bodies, staff will develop outreach programs to better engage the community in the nomination process, and to encourage more diverse representation.
2. Develop an Appointment Process Based on Criteria 3
The actual appointment process needs to be more rigorous to ensure the selection criteria are applied. To do so, the Task Force suggests that Council create a sub-committee of Council to review the nominations, using the revised selection criteria. If Council wishes to proceed in this manner, the City Clerk will work out a detailed selection process for Council's consideration, taking into account the possible roles of committee chairs and liaison staff. It is also suggested that the City Clerk's Office hold information sessions for prospective candidates to enable them to become aware of the commitments and responsibilities of being on a committee of Council.
3. Improve Ongoing Communication with Staff and Council
Committees often feel that the work they do goes un-noticed or is poorly communicated to staff and Council. Part of this problem would be overcome through improvements to work plans and integration with staff work programs. Ongoing communication can be improved by posting committee minutes on the web, creating list-servers, and holding annual meetings or events. In addition, it is proposed that Advisory Body Reports to Council be submitted to Standing Committees of Council, when a Chair or other representative wishes to speak, to enhance opportunities for discussion.
II. IMPROVEMENTS TO ADVISORY COMMITTEES DEALING WITH ACCESS AND INTEGRATION ISSUES (Advisory Committees on Seniors, Disability Issues and Cultural Communities 4)
Much of the Task Force's work to date has been focused on Council's three special advisory committees that deal with access and integration issues. As part of that work, the Task Force has considered the potential under-representation of Aboriginals, lesbian/gay/transgender/ bisexual communities and people living on low incomes in City programs, and how the committee structure could be modified to better reflect these interests. The Task Force held a workshop in May, 2003, with representatives from many of Vancouver's diverse communities to assess the effectiveness of the existing committees, to identify gaps, and to come up with ideas to improve access and integration for groups.
(a) Retain Advisory Committees and Clarify Mandate and Role
The Task Force recommends that these committees be retained, their mandates and roles clarified, and that they be better integrated with City Programs. In addition to the recommendations in Part I, a consistent approach is needed to improve the operation of committees and make them more effective, including mandating and resourcing, and reporting out to communities and Council. However, it should be recognized that the advisory bodies may need flexibility to function differently to achieve their respective mandates. Confusion around the mandate and role of committees has been cited as a significant issue
The Task Force proposes the following actions to reinvigorate the committees by improving their focus, clarifying their roles, and better integrating their work plans with City initiatives.
Proposed Actions:
1. Confirm/clarify Mandates
Based on feedback from committee members and the public, the Task Force has drafted revised mandates for the three Advisory Committees (Appendix B refers). 5 The Committees have indicated general support for the proposed new mandates. Minor amendments were suggested, most of which have been incorporated into the Task Force report.
2. Integrate Committee Work Plans with City Initiatives
It is recommended that the Committees meet annually with Council Liaisons and Staff Liaisons to identify mutual objectives and opportunities for Committee involvement in City initiatives, and to bring the lens of each committee's perspectives to bear on what the City is doing. This three-way communication will also help to improve ongoing communication between all parties.
Based on this communication, Council will expect the committees to create annual work plans, describing their objectives and projects they intend to undertake during the coming year. These projects should be made up of concrete, measurable tasks with ways of measuring success. Preparation of these work plans is not intended to preclude Committees from responding to arising issues during the course of the year. Work plans should be flexible enough to include and prioritize emerging issues, and permit committees to respond to issues referred by Council. A set of guidelines for the preparation of annual work plans will be developed to assist the advisory bodies.
The Task Force values the contribution of volunteer committees, and recognizes that these work plans cannot be overwhelming in their scope. Liaison Staff from civic departments will be able to provide the committees with some assistance where committee projects mesh with their departmental work plans. However, this resource is limited, and where the combined resources of committee members and staff will not be adequate to carry out an envisioned project, the committees would need to so advise Council.
Budgets are not unlimited, and decisions to spend money on one project often mean that funds must be re-allocated from another area. In such cases, it will be up to Council to determine how high a priority to assign to the committees' proposals and whether to approve funding. Committees will need to consider this when preparing work plans.
Council will also expect the committees to submit annual reports to Council to summarize their accomplishments, based on their work plans and their responses to arising issues. The achievements of constructive and pro-active committees should be welcomed, and their annual reports should be published to bring them to the attention of Council and the communities which they represent. Annual reports can also be used in the ongoing evaluation of the committees' effectiveness and relevance to the City's needs, and to provide opportunities for further improvements. To this end, performance outcomes will be measured.
3. Act as a Conduit Between "Communities" and City Hall
Information sharing and communication need to be improved between committees and Council and committees and their "communities". Committees need to meet with staff liaisons to identify opportunities for input and information sharing. Examples include list servers, posting of meeting minutes on the City website, holding regularly scheduled meetings in community centres or similar locations on a quarterly basis, and an annual meeting with the community to highlight achievements, invite ideas and issues for the coming year, and to invite participation on the committees. Committee members should also attend meetings of community groups with an interest in their mandates, as well as groups with a complementary interest in improving access and integration. Examples of the latter could include the CityPlan Committees which function in areas of the City with Community Visions.
4. Promote Awareness of "Community" Access and Integration Issues
Part of the committees' role is to improve awareness of access and integration issues of persons with disabilities, members of diverse communities and seniors, inside and outside of City Hall. Internally, this awareness can be raised by having committee chairs and staff liaisons for all three committees meet bi-annually (at a minimum) to share information and coordinate initiatives. Externally, the committees could plan and develop activities and events such as an annual forum with Council and "communities" to share issues and perspectives. This could be tied in with the annual meeting mentioned above in 3.
5. Have Adequate Resources for Outreach and Information Sharing
Activities focused on information sharing and raising awareness will require appropriate resources to be effective. The Task Force suggests building on the resources currently provided (Meeting Coordinators and Staff Liaisons) by recommending Council approve a small budget managed by the City Clerk, to be allocated to Staff Liaisons for the planning and implementation of these activities. This funding is addressed in Section V, Resources.
(b) Improve Awareness and Involvement of Typically Under-Represented Groups
The Task Force believes it is important to improve awareness of and involvement of typically under-represented groups in City programs. In conducting the review, the Task Force has noticed that there may be under-representation of certain "voices" at the City, whether through a committee or any other means. These perceived gaps include Aboriginals, people living on low incomes, women and the lesbian/gay/
transgender/bisexual communities. Assessing access to City programs and decision-making processes for these groups is very important. In the course of planning programs and setting strategies, whom do we involve? In the programs and action plans we have, to what communities do they speak?
In their new mandates, the Advisory Committees on Diversity Issues, Disability Issues and Seniors' Issues have been charged with contributing to City programs and policies to help ensure that the needs of diverse communities, persons with disabilities and seniors are considered. They will also have a responsibility to view City programs and policies through a variety of lenses, including gender, racial origins, income levels, sexual orientation, age and levels of ability. It will be an overall goal to provide genuine opportunities for input from the broadest possible spectrum of viewpoints.
The Task Force believes that it is important for women's issues to be dealt with specifically by the Women's Task Force to be proposed to Council at a future date. However, this will not relieve the Advisory Committees of the responsibility to view issues through the lens of gender as well as the other lenses cited.
Although the Advisory Committees on Diversity Issues, Disability Issues and Seniors' Issues have been specifically charged with responsibility to view City programs and policies through a variety of lenses, all Council advisory bodies should feel an obligation to weigh all viewpoints to the extent relevant to their mandates.
III: IMPROVEMENTS TO PLANNING AND HERITAGE-RELATED BODIES
The Task Force has been mandated by Council to review a number of heritage and planning related bodies:
· Vancouver Heritage Commission;
· Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee;
· Chinatown Historic Area Planning Committee;
· First Shaughnessy Advisory Design Panel;
· Public Art Committee;
· Vancouver City Planning Commission (VCPC).
However, various participatory initiatives are soon to be addressed by Council, including the Vancouver Electoral Reform Commission and related issues around neighbourhood involvement. It is anticipated that Council will begin discussion of these issues at a later time. Because of the relevance of these topics to planning and heritage issues, the Task Force recommends that the planning and heritage-related bodies be reviewed within this context.
Approval of this recommendation would lengthen the term of members of these advisory bodies for a longer time period than was originally envisioned. The incumbent members of these bodies were appointed until the conclusion of the review, and no formal motion would be required to extend their terms. However, the Task Force believes it would be inequitable to expect these members to continue on for an indefinite and probably lengthy period of time.
Members of these advisory bodies serve for 2-year terms. Those members who were appointed for the 2002-2003 term prior to the commencement of the review should be extended until December 2004 if they wish to serve, and the remaining positions should be advertised in the usual manner, with the exception of VCPC, which was re-appointed in the normal manner at the commencement of the review. (Appointments of members of the Fire and Rescue Services Committee, who also serve for a two-year term, should also be extended in the same manner.) Council is at liberty to re-institute the review when it deems it appropriate to do so.
IV: GUIDELINES FOR CREATING FUTURE COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES
During the course of the review, the Task Force had occasion to consider under what circumstances a task force or an ongoing committee would be the preferable vehicle for public involvement. As a result of considering this question, the Task Force has drafted a set of guidelines to help Council decide whether a task force or ongoing committee is the most appropriate technique to address a given issue. The Guidelines are set out in Recommendation P.
The Task Force recommends Council adopt these guidelines now, and that the Task Force report back with any necessary refinements when the Advisory Body Review is complete.
V: RESOURCES
Funding will be needed for meeting costs and training sessions, as set out in the following table. Although no budget offsets are identified, it should be noted that approval of this budget would improve the effectiveness of all advisory bodies. Annual costs would be:
ANNUAL COSTS |
|
Meeting costs (annual meeting of the Advisory Committees on Diversity, Disability and Seniors' Issues, community invited) |
$ 2,300.00 |
Meeting costs (quarterly meetings in the community of the Advisory Committees on Diversity, Disability and Seniors' Issues- total of 6 meetings) |
3,700.00 |
Administrative costs - promoting awareness of community access and integration issues (postage, printing, displays, translation if required, etc.) |
6,000.00 |
TOTAL |
$12,000.00 |
It should be noted that another resourcing issue may arise. The issue of Committee work plans and how they fit, and/or add to departments existing work plans and the necessary resource requirements may well need to be addressed. This report cannot address the issue of adding to existing departmental work plans, because it is not possible to say, at this juncture, what the extent might be, or where it would fall.
It has already been noted that resources are limited, and that where the available resources of committee members and staff will not be adequate to carry an envisioned project, the committees would need to so advise Council. It has also been noted that budgets are not unlimited, and decisions to spend money on one project often mean that funds must be re-allocated from another area. In such cases, it will be up to Council to determine how high a priority to assign to the committees' proposals and whether to approve funding. Committees will need to consider this when preparing work plans.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Task Force appreciates the willingness of the incumbent members of the Topic and Area-based Advisory Bodies to continue to serve during the course of the review, and recommends that Council thank them for their service.
The Task Force also wishes to thank members of the public and Liaison Staff who have helped to date for their participation in the review.
* * * * *
SELECTION CRITERIA
The City of Vancouver is seeking volunteers to serve on civic agencies. Applicants should be constructive, problem-solving team players, with the incentive and initiative to be pro-active. Prospective applicants are invited to attend an orientation session before applying.
Requirements:
· Applicants may not be employees of the City of Vancouver;
· Applicants must live or work in Vancouver, or have a significant body of experience with Vancouver issues;
· Applicants must be able to demonstrate relevant experience OR knowledge, abilities and skills related to the mandate of the civic agency;
· Nomination by a community group* working on issues related to the civic agency's mandate will be considered an asset;
· Applicants of all ages, genders, neighbourhoods, racial origins, income levels and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities, are encouraged to apply, in order to appoint civic agencies representative of the broader community, and to address the issues of those communities;
· Ability to speak a second language will be regarded as an asset;
· Some knowledge of civic services/jurisdiction will be regarded as an asset;
· Applicants should be able to serve for the full term of the appointment;
Use of the application form** is mandatory.
* Unless otherwise specified in the mandate of a specific committee, members will not represent nominating groups, but will attend in their private capacities.
** Application form is attached (Appendix C).
DRAFT MANDATE
Advisory Committee on Diversity Issues
The Advisory Committee on Diversity Issues was established by City Council on date of Council approval, 2003.
Council Liaison: To Be Appointed by Council
Mandate
The Advisory Committee on Diversity Issues is advisory to City Council. The mandate of the Committee is to work to enhance access to full participation in City services for Vancouver's diverse communities, including the multicultural, Aboriginal and lesbian/gay/transgender/
bisexual communities, and to identify and suggest solutions to gaps and barriers that impede their full participation in all aspects of City life.
Under Section 160 of The Vancouver Charter, all committees of Council shall stand discharged immediately before the first Monday after December 1 in the year of a general local election.
Terms of Reference
The Committee
· advises on matters which affect diverse communities and ensures that the full scope of issues is addressed, including, but not limited to:
o providing input to civic departments in addressing racism and discrimination issues, e.g. hate crime, graffiti, civic rental policy;
o addressing issues of concern, e.g. housing, youth and seniors, culture and recreation, and community outreach;
o working with City staff on civic events which celebrate diversity, e.g. Cultural Harmony Awards, City Hall Lights Program, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination;
· contributes to City programs and policies to ensure that the needs of diverse communities are considered;
· views City programs and policies through a variety of lenses, including gender, racial origins, income levels, sexual orientation, age and levels of ability.
· works co-operatively with other civic agencies whose activities affect diverse communities;
· engages in outreach to the diverse communities to disseminate information and encourage participation;
· acts as a conduit for feedback from the diverse communities on civic matters affecting them;
· acts as a resource for staff doing public involvement processes in diverse communities, e.g. civic elections and Community Visions;
· supports groups endeavouring to initiate and develop projects to assist diverse communities;
· attends City-sponsored public forums to provide information on City programs and receive public input on diversity issues;
· produces an annual work plan with specific objectives by no later than March of each year, in consultation with its Council and staff liaisons, for distribution to Council and civic departments for information;
· submits an annual report to Council describing its accomplishments for the year, including reference to each objective set out in the work plan and any arising issues to which the Committee has responded.
Membership
Up to fifteen members of the general public will be appointed for a three-year term, the majority of whom will be nominated by community groups working on issues related to the committee mandate. All applicants must be able to demonstrate relevant experience related to the mandate of this committee. The Chair and Vice-Chair will be elected by the Committee on an annual basis.
City Council will appoint one liaison Councillor to the Committee. The Vancouver Park Board and the Vancouver School Board will each be requested to name one elected liaison member.
The Committee may appoint a reasonable number of sub-committees to assist with its projects. Membership may include persons willing to serve who are not members of the Committee.
Reappointment
Members may be re-appointed.
Meeting Frequency
The Committee is required to meet at least four times per year on a quarterly basis to a maximum of twelve times per year, excluding August. The meeting schedule will be set in consultation with the City Clerk's Office.
Attendance Requirement
Members may miss no more than four consecutive meetings without obtaining Leave of Absence from the Committee. Membership will be terminated following the fourth such absence.
Advisory Committee on Disability Issues
The Advisory Committee on Disability Issues was established by City Council on date of Council approval, 2003.
Council Liaison: To Be Appointed by Council
Mandate
The Advisory Committee on Disability Issues is advisory to City Council. The mandate of the Committee is to work to enhance access to City services for persons with disabilities, and to identify and suggest solutions to gaps and barriers that impede their full participation in all aspects of City life.
Under Section 160 of The Vancouver Charter, all committees of Council shall stand discharged immediately before the first Monday after December 1 in the year of a general local election.
Terms of Reference
The Committee
· advises on matters which affect persons with disabilities, including, but not limited to:
o consulting with City staff during the design stage of planning to ensure that accessibility and the needs of people with disabilities are addressed in facilities design and renovation;
o providing City staff with information on issues related to disabilities - e.g., taxi cabs, transportation;
o providing input on disability issues for inclusion in Council reports - e.g., recent changes to building bylaw;
o working collaboratively with staff on initiatives/projects to enhance accessibility for people with disabilities - e.g., upcoming initiative to make Vancouver the most Disability Friendly City possible;
o advising on issues related to accessibility for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games;
· contributes to City programs and policies to ensure that the needs of persons with disabilities are considered;
· views City programs and policies through a variety of lenses, including gender, racial origins, income levels, sexual orientation, age and levels of ability.
· works co-operatively with other civic agencies whose activities affect persons with disabilities;
· engages in outreach to the community of persons with disabilities to disseminate information and encourage participation;
· acts as a conduit for feedback from persons with disabilities on civic matters affecting them;
· acts as a resource for staff doing public involvement processes involving persons with disabilities;
· supports groups endeavouring to initiate and develop projects to assist persons with disabilities;
· attends City-sponsored public forums to provide information on City programs and receive public input on disability issues;
· produces an annual work plan with specific objectives by no later than March of each year, in consultation with its Council and staff liaisons, for distribution to Council and civic departments for information;
· submits an annual report to Council describing its accomplishments for the year, including reference to each objective set out in the work plan and any arising issues to which the Committee has responded.
Membership
Up to fifteen members of the general public will be appointed for a three-year term, the majority of whom will be nominated by community groups working on issues related to the committee mandate. All applicants must be able to demonstrate relevant experience related to the mandate of this committee. The Chair and Vice-Chair will be elected by the Committee on an annual basis.
To the fullest extent possible, committee membership will reflect all types of disabilities.
City Council will appoint one liaison Councillor to the Committee.
The Committee may appoint a reasonable number of sub-committees to assist with its projects. Membership may include persons willing to serve who are not members of the Committee.
Reappointment
Members may be re-appointed.
Meeting Frequency
The Committee is required to meet at least four times per year on a quarterly basis to a maximum of twelve times per year, excluding August. The meeting schedule will be set in consultation with the City Clerk's Office.
Attendance Requirement
Members may miss no more than four consecutive meetings without obtaining Leave of Absence from the Committee. Membership will be terminated following the fourth such absence.
Advisory Committee on Seniors' Issues
The Advisory Committee on Seniors' Issues was established by Council on date of Council approval, 2003.
Council Liaison: To Be Appointed by Council
Mandate
The Advisory Committee on Seniors' Issues is advisory to City Council. The mandate of the Committee is to work to enhance access to City services for seniors, and to identify and suggest solutions to gaps and barriers that impede their full participation in all aspects of City life.
Under Section 160 of The Vancouver Charter, all committees of Council shall stand discharged immediately before the first Monday after December 1 in the year of a general local election.
Terms of Reference
The Committee
· advises on matters which affect seniors, including but not limited to;
o providing input on City policies and reports that affect seniors, e.g. Congregate Housing Guidelines, Accessible and Adaptable Design;
o monitoring and contributing to City programs to ensure that the needs of seniors are considered, e.g. sidewalk safety, crosswalks, pedestrian lights;
o acting as a resource and providing information to staff doing work which involves seniors e.g. public involvement processes, CityPlan Visioning;
o providing input on the design of seniors housing applications received by the City;
· contributes to City programs and policies to ensure that the needs of seniors are considered;
· views City programs and policies through a variety of lenses, including gender, racial origins, income levels, sexual orientation, age and levels of ability.
· works co-operatively with other civic agencies whose activities affect seniors
· engages in outreach to the seniors' community to disseminate information and encourage participation;
· acts as a conduit for feedback from seniors on civic matters affecting them;
· acts as a resource for staff doing public involvement processes involving seniors;
· supports groups endeavouring to initiate and develop projects to assist seniors;
· attends City-sponsored public forums to provide information on City programs and receive public input on seniors' issues;
· produces an annual work plan with specific objectives by no later than March of each year, in consultation with its Council and staff liaisons, for distribution to Council and civic departments for information;
· submits an annual report to Council describing its accomplishments for the year, including reference to each objective set out in the work plan and any arising issues to which the Committee has responded.
Membership
Up to twenty-one members of the general public will be appointed for a three-year term, the majority of whom will be nominated by community groups working on issues related to the committee mandate. All applicants must be able to demonstrate relevant experience related to the mandate of this committee. The Chair and Vice-Chair will be elected by the Committee on an annual basis.
City Council will appoint one liaison Councillor to the Committee. The Park Board will be asked to appoint one elected liaison member to the Committee
The Vancouver Public Library Board will be asked to appoint a staff liaison to the Committee.
The Committee may appoint a reasonable number of sub-committees to assist with its projects. Membership may include persons willing to serve who are not members of the Committee.
Reappointment
Members may be re-appointed.
Meeting Frequency
The Committee is required to meet at least four times per year on a quarterly basis to a maximum of twelve times per year, excluding August. The meeting schedule will be set in consultation with the City Clerk's Office.
Attendance Requirement
Members may miss no more than four consecutive meetings without obtaining Leave of Absence from the Committee. Membership will be terminated following the fourth such absence.
Bicycle Advisory Committee
The Bicycle Advisory Committee was established on July 30, 1985.
Council Liaison: To Be Appointed by Council
Mandate
The Bicycle Advisory Committee is advisory to City Council. The mandate of the Committee is to provide a safe and convenient cycling environment for commuter and recreational cyclist by improving the existing road network to better meet the needs of cyclists, and by promoting the safe and responsible use of bicycles for transportation and recreation.
Under Section 160 of The Vancouver Charter, all committees of Council shall stand discharged immediately before the first Monday after December 1 in the year of a general local election.
Terms of Reference
The Committee:
· Reviews and advises on bicycle transportation matters;
· Provides input on capital improvement projects involving bicycling facilities;
· Promotes bicycling as a viable form of urban transportation and recreation;
· Evaluates bicycle facilities;
· Promotes motorist and cyclist awareness, competence and safety; and
· Attends City-sponsored public forums to provide information on City programs and receive public input on bicycling issues;
· produces an annual work plan with specific, concrete objectives by March of each year, in consultation with its Council and staff liaisons, for distribution to Council and civic departments for information;
· submits an annual report to Council describing its accomplishments for the year, including reference to each objective set out in the work plan and any arising issues to which the Committee has responded.
Membership 6
The Bicycle Advisory Committee is composed of 11 voting members appointed for three-year terms, the majority of whom will be nominated by community groups working on issues related to the committee mandate. All applicants must be able to demonstrate relevant experience related to the mandate of this committee:
· Ten members are appointed by Vancouver City Council (one of whom must represent in-line skaters).
· One member and one alternate are appointed by the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition [the alternate may vote only when the member is absent].
· In addition, the City Council, the Park Board and the School Board each appoint a political liaison person and a staff person as non-voting members.
The Committee may appoint a reasonable number of sub-committees to assist with its projects. Membership may include persons willing to serve who are not members of the Committee.
Reappointment
Members may be re-appointed
Meeting Frequency
The Committee is required to meet at least four times per year on a quarterly basis to a maximum of twelve times per year, excluding August. The meeting schedule will be set in consultation with the City Clerk's Office.
Attendance Requirement
Members may miss no more than four consecutive meetings without obtaining Leave of Absence from the Committee. Membership will be terminated following the fourth such absence.
CITY OF VANCOUVER CIVIC AGENCIES
APPLICATION FORM
2004 Appointments
Name of Applicant:
Name of civic agency you are applying for:
(Use separate application form for each agency)
Nominating organization (if applicable):
Name of Organization |
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Name/Signature of Officer of Nominating Organization |
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Contact Telephone Number of above Officer: |
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Mailing Address of Nominating Organization |
What skills and goals will you bring to the agency?
Have you previously been a member of this civic agency? YES [ ] NO [ ]
If "yes", during what years did you serve?
Which applicants' orientation session did you attend? Date ______________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Personal Résumé
Home Address: |
Occupation: |
City: |
Employer: |
Postal Code: |
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Telephone - Residence: |
E-mail: |
Telephone - Business: |
Business/Work experience in the past five years:
How is your business/work experience related to the mandate of the civic agency?
Educational background/Professional qualifications:
How is your background related to the mandate of the civic agency?
Community/volunteer activities in the last five years:
Other relevant information, if any:
Applicant's Signature: _________________________
Date of Application: _______________________
Your application/résumé will be made available to Vancouver City Council, civic staff, and the applicable civic agency for the sole purpose of making appointments to civic agencies. Your information is collected under the authority of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and any applicable by-laws.
Contact Information:
Nancy Largent
Public Involvement Coordinator Phone: 604.873.7104
City Clerk's Office Fax: 604.873.7419
453 West 12th Avenue E-mail: nancy_largent@city.vancouver.bc.ca
Vancouver, BC V5Y 1V4
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