Transit Advisory Committee

TERMS OF REFERENCE

(Revised December 14, 2010)

NAME: Kawartha Lakes Transit Advisory Committee (to be known as the Transit Advisory Committee (TAC)

MISSION: The Kawartha Lakes Transit Advisory Committee is a volunteer committee appointed by City Council.   TAC will provide advice and assistance to Council and the Public Works Department to optimize transit services within the City by working with community partners.

OBJECTIVES: The Committee shall provide advice, guidance and assistance to Council and the Public Works Department on community transit issues.  The Committee will abide by any terms and conditions which may be set out by the City’s Council, CAO, Clerk, Solicitor, Auditor and/or Insurer for any activities relating to Committee business.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Transit Advisory Committee will ensure that there is:

• Compliance with the Municipal Act including the Accountability and

Transparency Section

• Act as an Advisory Body to provide recommendations to Council on transit issues
• Make no direct representations on behalf of the City to Provincial or Federal Governments but recommend such actions to Council for disposition
• Follow the by-laws and polices established by Council
• Review and provide a written report to Council annually on the activities and operations of the Board.

ACTIVITIES: The following are the activities and responsibilities of the Committee:

(a) To make recommendations on various issues related to the operation of the municipality’s transit system.

(b) To advise and make recommendations on strategy, policies and procedures to achieve Council’s goals relating to provision of transit services to the community.

(c) To assist with the development of public education programs for the promotion of the transit system.

(d) To review other governmental reports/programs and advise/make recommendations of any impacts of those reports for the City and any action that should be considered.

(e) To prepare, by September 15^th of each year, a projected budget and work program for the succeeding year, for presentation to, and adoption by, Council during the budget presentation process through the Public Works Department.

COMPOSITION: The Committee shall be comprised of a maximum of ten members consisting of two members of Council, a representative from Sir Sandford Fleming College, a representative from one of the established Chambers of Commerce, a representative from the Lindsay BIA, a representative from Community Care, a representative from the City’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, a representative from one of the secondary school’s student Council and two members from the public at large.

Committee members will be appointed by Council in accordance with established policy.  The Committee shall appoint such executive positions as it deems necessary to ensure its operations but shall include as a minimum, a Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary.  It is acknowledged that there are no per diems for any Committee positions and it is acknowledged that none of the above positions shall be paid for their services. Out of pocket expenses for transportation and miscellaneous expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with City policy.

TERM OF APPOINTMENT: Unless exempted by legislation, members will be appointed to varying terms to a maximum of a three year term.  An equal number of appointees will be for a one year term and two year term with the balance appointed to a three year term for the first appointees.  Successive appointments will be for a three year term to ensure knowledge succession and that there be no complete turnover of membership in any given year.

RESOURCES:The Public Works Department will provide support in the form of advice, day-to-day liaison with the City, updates on program and promotional ideas and initial assistance in their implementation to the degree resources are available.  The Department will also assist in the preparation and submission of budget requests/grant submissions, if needed.

STAFF ASSIGNED:  Staff from Public Works Department will be available to assist the Committee as outlined under “Resources” and to attend meetings of the Committee upon request.

TIMING OF MEETINGS: Meetings will be held on a set day and time as may be determined by the Committee or at the call of the Chair.

ADMINISTRATION: Any responsibilities not clearly identified within these Terms of Reference shall be the responsibility of the City of Kawartha Lakes.  Council may, at its discretion, change the Terms of Reference for this Committee at any time.  Any changes proposed to these Terms of Reference by the Committee shall be recommended to Council via the Director through a report to Council.

APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS: The Kawartha Lakes Transit Advisory Committee shall, at its first meeting in each year, elect from its membership a chairperson and a vice-chairperson.  In the event that there is a staff liaison appointed pursuant to Staff Appointment, that person shall serve as the Secretary.  In the event that there is no staff liaison, the Committee shall, at its first meeting in each year, elect from its membership a Secretary.

MEETINGS: The Committee shall hold a minimum of four meetings in each calendar year.  The Secretary shall cause notice of the meetings, including the agenda for the meetings, to be provided to members of the Committee a minimum of seven (7) business days prior to the date of each meeting.   Quorum for meetings shall consist of a majority of the members of the Committee.

PROCEDURES: Procedures for the meetings of the Committee shall be governed by Procedural By-law and Legislation or, where both of these are silent, by Robert’s Rules of Order.

CLOSED MEETINGS: The Committee may, upon affirmative vote of the majority of its members present at a meeting, determine to hold any meeting or part of a meeting as a closed session in order to discuss sensitive personal issues or legal matters.  If the Committee elects to hold a closed session, all persons not entitled to vote (with the exception of the staff liaison and visiting members of Council, if any, and all persons excepted by the members) shall vacate the premises where the meeting is taking place.  Closed meetings can only be held in accordance with Section 239 of the Municipal Act.  Prior to the commencement of closed session, a resolution shall be passed stating the general nature of the matter to be discussed and what section of the Municipal Act applies.

AGENDAS AND MINUTES: A copy of the Agenda shall be provided to the Clerk’s office at the same time it is provided to Committee Members and posted on the city web site.

Minutes of all meetings of the Committee shall be forwarded to the Public Works Department and to the Clerk’s Office not later than two weeks after the meeting.  Action items requested of staff and/or Council will be brought to the attention of the Public Works Department at that time.  The Clerk’s Office will electronically circulate the minutes to all members of Council for their information.  The Clerk’s Office will maintain a set of printed minutes on file for public review.

REPORTS: All recommendations of the Kawartha Lakes Transit Advisory Committee are to be forwarded to Council in a formal written report on the City report template.  It will be the responsibility of the Committee to identify those recommendations to the Public Works Department for final preparation of the report.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: Members shall abide by the rules outlined within the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and shall disclose the pecuniary interest to the Secretary and absent himself or herself from meetings for the duration of the discussion and voting (if any) with respect to that matter.

ERRORS/OMISSIONS: The accidental omission to give notice of any meeting of the Committee to its members, or the non-receipt of any notice by any member, or any error in any notice that does not affect its substance, does not invalidate any resolution passed or any proceedings taken at the meeting.  Any member of the Committee may at any time waive notice of any meeting.

MEETING ATTENDANCE: Any member of the Committee who misses three consecutive meetings, without being excused by the Committee, may be removed from the Committee.  The Committee must make recommendations, by a report to Council for the removal of any member in accordance with adopted policy.

LOCATION OF MEETINGS: The location of the meetings will be set by the Committee.

PURCHASING POLICY: This Committee has no purchasing or procurement responsibilities.

BUDGET: Committees will not be responsible for a budget unless Council approves their budget and delegation of responsibility to the Committee through the Committee’s Terms of Reference.

VOLUNTEER POSITIONS: Unless approved by Council, as part of the Terms of Reference or establishing by-law, all committee members are considered volunteer positions.  Mileage costs and other minor expenses related to committee activities may be eligible for reimbursement subject to budget approvals by Council.

INSURANCE: Insurance coverage for the volunteer Committee of Council shall be through the City Insurance Policy.

DISSOLUTION: At the discretion of Council, or upon the mandate of the Committee being fulfilled, the Committee may be dissolved by resolution of Council.

EXPULSION OF MEMBER: The Committee may recommend to Council the expulsion of a member or Council may remove a member for reasons as listed, but not limited to, the member being in contravention of the Municipal Act, the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Provincial Offences Act, the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act; disrupting the work of the Committee or other legal issues.  The process for expulsion of a member is outlined with Policy Number 028 CAO 002.