SPC to address potential changes to committees

By Lethbridge Herald on July 31, 2024.

Herald photo by Al Beeber Deputy city clerk David Sarsfield, filling in for City Clerk Bonnie Hilford, and mayor Blaine Hyggen listen to a speaker during a recent city council meeting.

Al Beeber
Lethbridge Herald

Recommendations to council on the function of boards, commissions and committees that have been made by the City Clerk’s office will be addressed by the Governance Standing Policy Committee after each one named has a chance to review a report presented to the SPC on Thursday.

A report by City Clerk Bonnie Hilford and Deputy City Clerk David Sarsfield outlined 17 recommendations. Their office was direct by city council on July 11 last year to conduct the review.

But multiple people representing impacted boards expressed opposition the recommendations at Thursday’s meeting.

Among them were representatives from the Heart of The City Committee, the Joint Committee of the City of Lethbridge and Lethbridge School Boards, the Youth Advisory Council, the Animal Welfare Committee and Volunteer Lethbridge whose CEO Amanda Jensen spoke in general terms about the proposed changes.

Sarsfield told the SPC there is no intention to disband committees but rather change the manner in which they would report, going to administration instead of directly to council.

The five SPCs were excluded from the review because one was conducted on them last year.

The review specifically focused upon the:

• Aggressive Dog Appeal Committee

• Animal Welfare Committee

• Assessment Review Board

• Combative Sports Commission

• Heart of Our City Committee

• Historic Places Advisory Committee

• Intermunicipal Planning Committee

• Joint Committee of the City of Lethbridge and Lethbridge School Boards

• Lethbridge Emergency Advisory Committee

• Lethbridge Library Board

• Lethbridge Police Commission

• Reconciliation Lethbridge Advisory Committee

• Sir Alexander Galt Museum and Archives Board of Directors

• Subdivision and Development Appeal Board, and;

• Youth Advisory Council

Recommendations of the review include that the Heart of Our City committee transition to an administrative committee to continuing supporting the City and its priorities. It was created in 2007 to champion the Heart of our City Master Plan – the budget and responsibility of which have been transferred to Opportunity Lethbridge. 

With an Urban Revitalization manager now in place who engages directly with stakeholder organizations, the report says the HOOCC is now administrative in nature and there is confusion and duplication as to roles and responsibilities. The report says that members, especially people representing organizations, have a perceived conflict of interest.

It also calls on the committee of school boards to be disbanded, noting it is scheduled to meet three times a year but generally a third of those are cancelled. The report also says it has no authority or decision-making powers.

Also recommended is that the Reconciliation Lethbridge Advisory Committee have its budget transferred to the Indigenous Relations Office and be transitioned to an administrative committee.

The report notes it has a large number of members, meetings are quite long, some members are on-line with cameras off and they don’t interact, quorum issues exist and some positions have never been filled.

Other recommendations include:

• That the Animal Welfare Committee transition to an Administrative Committee, with its funding to be transferred to Regulatory Services to administer grants. This committee’s primary purpose has changed to administer grants between competing rescue groups which the report says can by done by Regulatory Services.

• That the City explore options to establish a definitive governance model for the Sir Alexander Galt Museum and Archives Board of Directors, reporting back its finding by June, 2025. 

• That the Youth Advisory Council be disbanded, that the youth groups be invited to present and/or submit to the Standing Policy Committees, and that a youth portal be created to provide engagement opportunities.

• That a new quasi-judicial tribunal be established – Community Requirements Appeal Board. This would hear appeals on City decisions regarding weeds, unsightly properties, and orders to remedy contraventions.

* That appointments from nominations of organizations be eliminated, and that the recruitment skills matrixes for each BCC be amended to reflect the desired composition, and public members at large be appointed. The report notes some committees have difficulty recruiting members from organizations and they may not follow the mandate of the BCC but rather focus on the goals of their organization. Others aren’t necessarily invested in the BCC and its mandate which also causes problems with attaining quorum.

• That the size of the boards, committees, and commissions be reduced where warranted. 

• That increased support and training to the BCCs of council be provided. 

• That the honourariums for Boards, Committees, and Commission CC67 Council Policy be amended based on the feedback received.

• That Boards, Committees, and Commissions provide regular reporting to council. Most committees do not report to council or a Standing Policy Committee so council members are not aware of their activities, accomplishments, challenges and needs, says the report. 

• That the review of stipends for members of council be included in the Council Code of Conduct Bylaw Review.

• Establish regular (at least annual) elected officials (all of city council) to elected officials’ meetings with mutual partners, with Administration to attend. 

They include regional municipalities, the Kainai/Blood Tribe council, Coaldale, the local member of Parliament and both city MLAs.

• That council pursue appointments of its members to other external bodies.

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