| Mission |
| The Youth Council Advisory Committee is established to create a platform for youth to engage in the municipal decision-making process by providing input on issues that interest and/or affect youth in the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury and to foster leadership development and a sense of belonging among youth residents. |
| Roles and Responsibilities |
It is the responsibility of all appointed members to comply with:
The Committee is an advisory committee and does not have any delegated authority. No individual member or the Committee as a whole has the authority to make direct representations of the Town to Federal or Provincial Governments, third party organizations or other municipalities. This Committee has no purchasing or procurement responsibilities or authority.
Members shall abide by the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and shall disclose any pecuniary interest to the Committee Coordinator and absent themselves from the meeting for the duration of the discussion and voting (if any) with respect to that matter.
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| Activities |
The following represent the general activities of the Committee:
- Make recommendations to Council regarding issues relevant to young people such as education, recreation, employment and public safety;
- Advising Town staff and elected officials on policies, programs and initiatives that impact youth; and
- Organizing events, projects and campaigns to address youth-related concerns and promote civic participation among peers.
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| Composition |
The Committee shall be comprised of a maximum of 7 consisting of 5 youth members of the public aged between 12 and 18 and 2 Council representatives. Committee members will be appointed by Council. All members will have full authority to debate and vote. The Committee shall, at its first meeting in each term, elect from among the youth appointees a Chair, and a Vice-Chair. A Council member will serve as a supportive “mentor-chair.”
The Mayor is an ex officio member to all committees. When in attendance the Mayor will count towards quorum and shall have a vote.
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. All Committee members are considered volunteer positions. No attendance at conferences or workshops shall be allowed by a volunteer member unless clearly identified in the workplan/budget and approved by Council.
Subcommittees or workgroups are responsible for any preparation for meetings and making their own arrangements for meeting locations. Notice of these meetings will also be the responsibility of the subcommittee. Subcommittees must report to the Committee in order to make recommendations or request action from staff.
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| Term of Appointment |
All youth members of the Committee will hold office for an initial one year term (may coincide with the school year)and remain in office until their successors are appointed. When appointing members, consideration will be given to applicants that have not previously served on the Committee prior to those that have to ensure opportunities are available for new applicants as well as retaining dedicated existing members. Persons appointed to Committees are appointed for such term as defined by Council, and by resolution, Council may rescind any appointment at any time.
At the discretion of Council or upon the mandate of the Committee being fulfilled, the Committee may be dissolved by resolution of Council.
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| Attendance |
| Should any Member of a Committee fail to attend 3 successive meetings thereof without being authorized to do so by resolution of the committee, the committee may certify such failure and thereupon the membership of such person on the Committee shall be terminated and the Council may appoint another Member in their place. In the event of a vacancy, vacancies will be filled through a Committee recommendation to Council if the Committee is aware and agrees on a candidate. Where the Committee is not aware of a qualified candidate, the Committee may pass a resolution requesting that the position be advertised or remain vacant. |
| Resources |
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Staff shall provide advisory support and guidance to the Committee, including providing background information, resources, and advice to members to assist them in their role. Staff from applicable departments will be requested to attend as necessary to provide their expertise or report on various matters.
Any requests for funding for events, projects or initiatives will be made through a recommendation to Council for approval if the funds are not available in the most recently approved operational budget or reserve account.
Secretarial and administrative support will be provided by the Clerk’s Division.
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| Timing of Meetings |
Meetings will be held quarterly on a set day and time as may be determined by the Committee or at the call of the Chair in consultation with the Council representatives. Meetings of the Committee shall not conflict with regular meetings of Committee of the Whole and Council Meetings.
Committee members are expected to attend all regularly scheduled meetings. In the event a member, other than the Mayor, is unable to attend a meeting, the member must contact the Chair or Committee Coordinator in advance and advise them.
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| Notice and Quorum |
| The Committee shall hold a minimum of 4 meetings in each term. The Committee Coordinator shall cause notice of the meetings, including the agenda for the meetings, to be provided to members of the Committee a minimum of 5 business days prior to the date of each meeting. Quorum for meetings shall consist of a majority of the members of the Committee. No meeting shall proceed without quorum. |
| Procedures |
| Procedures for the meetings of the Committee shall be governed by the Town’s Procedural By-law. The rules and regulations contained in the Procedural By-law shall be observed in all proceedings of the Committee. In the case of any conflict between these Terms of Reference and such rules of procedure, the Terms of Reference shall take precedence. |
| Agenda and Minutes |
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All agendas will be posted to the Town’s website 5 days prior to meetings. Committee members will be notified of agenda availability via email with a link to the agenda.
Minutes of all Committee meetings will be placed on the next Council meeting agenda. Any recommendations requiring Council’s consideration will be pulled from the minutes and placed on the Council’s agenda separately. Minutes will also be adopted by the Committee at their next meeting. The Clerk's Division will maintain a set of printed minutes for records and publish minutes on the Town’s website for public viewing.
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| Terms of Reference |
| Council may, at its discretion, change the Terms of Reference for this Committee at any time. |
