SUCCESSION PLANNING-MEETINGS WORK GROUP REPORT

SUCCESSION PLANNING-MEETINGS WORK GROUP

REPORT TO VICTORIA FAMILY COURT & YOUTH JUSTICE COMMITTEE

AUGUST 16, 2021

WORK GROUP MEMBERS:

Esther Paterson, Chair, Councillor (Oak Bay)
Sandra Sarsfield, Co-Chair (CRD)
Marie-Térèse Little, Councillor (Metchosin)
Marcie McLean, Councillor (Highlands)
Jeff Bateman, Councillor (Sooke)
Angie Hentze, Trustee SD 61

SUBJECT: Victoria Family Court and Youth Justice Work Group (VFC&YJC) review of policies and procedures relating to Member Term Limits, Succession Planning and Meetings

With respect to Schedule H of the CRD Staff Report dated October 7, 2020, and the CRD Staff letter to VFC&YJ Committee dated February 26th, 2021 this review addresses specific issues defined as:

Institute VFC&YJ Committee member term limits and eligibility for re-appointment
Reduce numbers and appoint family-and-youth involved individuals with experience in education, health, probation or welfare
Reduce Meetings

BACKGROUND:

At the October 7, 2020 CRD Governance and Finance Committee meeting, the Committee adopted a recommendation requesting that CRD Staff report back on the process to restructure the VFC&YJ Committee in accordance with the recommendations set out in Appendix H of the October 7, 2020 CRD staff report. That CRD Committee recommendation was received and adopted by the CRD Board on November 18, 2020.

A motion was approved at the May 19, 2021 VFC&YJ Committee meeting to appoint Work Groups to review the recommendations set out in CRD Schedule H and CRD letter dated February 26, 2021 (Attachments 1 and 3). Everyone was welcome to contribute to the Work Groups. The Work Groups were asked to bring forward reports and recommendations to VFC&YJ Committee for consideration at the September 2021 meeting. Recommendations of the VFC&YJC Succession Planning/Meeting Work Group are as follows:

Matters and Recommendations:

1. Institute Term Limits

1.1. Committee members will serve three terms of two years, for a total of six years. Following the expiry of a member’s term, the Committee could request with a two-thirds majority and the appointing voting agency’s approval to extend the term for a further two years to ensure continuity of the Committee’s work. 1.2. Following a one year absence, a Committee member will be eligible for reappointment for a further term of up to six years. 1.3. Members will attend Committee Meetings, and will participate in the Steering Committee or a subcommittee. 1.4. Officers will be elected at the VFC&YJC AGM, for the positions of Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and add a new position of Past Chair. 1.5. Consider requirement for the Chair to serve a four year term. 1.6. The Past Chair will serve for a one year term; the role of the Past Chair will be to provide assistance with orientation training and with potential recruitment process. 1.7. Past long-time members may continue to participate as non-voting resource members and/or volunteers on sub-committees. 1.8. Member terms will be staggered to ensure continuity of knowledge and experience. 1.9. Terms will commence effective with VFC&YJ Committee/CRD adopted agreement for VFC&YJC to become a CRD Delegated Authority Committee.

2. Reduce numbers and appoint family and youth involved individuals

2.1. Voting membership will be minimum of 19 members and maximum 23 members; quorum will be 7 voting members. 2.2. Participating municipalities will appoint a principal member and alternate member to attend in absence of principal member. Municipalities have the discretion to appoint an elected official or representative as the principal and alternate member. 2.3. School Districts will appoint a principal member and an alternate member. School Districts have the discretion to appoint a School Trustee or a representative having expertise in education programs or who work directly with youth. 2.4. CRD may appoint a maximum of 4 members. 2.5. Institute a qualifications matrix to identify knowledge/expertise of existing Committee members, and to aid recruitment to fill gaps where expertise is required (education, health, welfare and probation). Non-voting resource members may include representatives of the Ministries of the Attorney General, Education, Children and Family Development, Public Safety and Solicitor General, Restorative Justice Health, Housing and Social Development, Police Forces and First Nations. 2.6. Institute a program of succession planning and recruitment; consider best methods and practices for communication. 2.7. Institute an orientation program for new members and new volunteers.

3. Meetings

3.1. Minimum six meetings per year of two to three hours in duration. No meetings will be held in March, July, August and December. 3.2. Consider a combination of in-person and on-line meetings. 3.3. Meetings will not be scheduled for Mondays or Wednesdays to avoid conflict with CRD and municipal Council meetings. 3.4. In each calendar year, a VFC&YJC meeting agenda will include the following: Annual General Meeting, Budget, and Work Plan.

4. CONCLUSION

The VFC&YJC Succession-Meetings Work Group acknowledges that some of the recommendations outlined in this Report will necessitate further work to develop specific criteria prior to implementation. Further, in establishing criteria for expertise, VFC&YJC interpret references to education, health, welfare and probation to have a broad scope of meaning that includes mental health, addictions, indigenous and restorative justice, family law and other issues that affect youth in our communities.

WORK GROUP RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the Victoria Family Court and Youth Justice Committee adopt the recommendations of the Succession Planning/Meetings Work Group as outlined in the Work Group’s August 16, 2021 Report to the VFC&YJ Committee, specific to:

Term Limits
Committee member numbers and committee appointments (members & volunteers)
Meetings

AND THAT, the Chair of the VFC&YJ Committee send a letter to the CRD Board and Staff providing the wording of the Committee’s resolution and including a copy of the Work Group’s Report, dated August 16, 2021.

Should the Committee be supportive of the above recommendation, the following resolution would be in order:

THAT the recommendations of the Succession Planning/Meetings Work Group specific to:

Term Limits
Committee member numbers and committee appointments (members & volunteers), and
Meetings

be adopted as outlined in the Work Group’s August 16, 2021 Report to the VFC&YJ Committee;

AND THAT, the VFC&YJC Chair send a letter to the CRD Board and Staff providing the wording of the Committee’s resolution and including a copy of the Work Group’s Report, dated August 16, 2021.