When a person becomes a councillor for a municipality they are assigned or requested to serve on committees within the town to help ease the long hours spent in meetings. Listed below are the municipalities and the committees along with the councillors that sit on these committees.
Depending on the size of the municipality, a council can have at least 2 members or more if you include the Ex-Officio (head) who is the Mayor, or all the council members can sit on all the committees.
Bredenbury and Spyhill for example have council all council involved in the committees and they will take the lead role on the committee if they have a deeper passion for the committee.
In Saltcoats there are five Committees:
1. Finance— They plan the annual budget. It is made up of three Councillors but all Members of Council are invited and do attend.
2. Public Works— They review public works projects such as the lagoon expansion and new Water treatment Plant, as well as paving.
3. Personnel— They look after the hiring of the CAO and assist the CAO in staffing issues. The CAO reports to the council and all other employees report to the CAO.
4. Culture and Recreation— They coordinate social and cultural activities in town.
5. Communications Committee— This is a newly established committee that looks after communications such as the town’s web page, newsletter, Facebook and planning for public meetings.
Most of the Councillors and the Mayor have publicized their email addresses, especially during their campaign. Thus, citizens are free to contact Councillors directly or through the office.
In Churchbridge, there are 7 committees with the Mayor as Ex-Officio for each:
1. Finance & Administration Mayor and All Council members are on this committee
Personal Sub-Committee includes the Mayor and 3 council members (TBA).
2. Protective Services. Their areas of responsibilities are Fire Services, Emergency Measures and Community Protection, Occupational Health and Safety, Policing, Bylaw Enforcement and Provincial Disaster Relief; Councillors Vaughan N. Thies and Gallant are responsible for this.
3. Transportation Committee; areas of responsibility are streets, street signage, roads, lanes, surface drainage, parking lots and reserve areas with Councillors Antosh-Cositar and R. Thies
4. Environmental Development – Their areas of responsibility are the landfill & transfer site, pest control garbage disposal and recycling with Councillors Gallant and Vaughan being responsible for these.
Planning and Economic Development – Their areas of responsibility are promoting the town, tourism, community development, strategic planning and asset management, enriched housing and the school; responsible for these are Councillor N. Thies and Mayor Johnston.
Recreation and Culture – Their areas of responsibility are the sports grounds, swimming pool, library and culture center, regional library, community hall, campground, arena, walking path playgrounds and cemetery. Councillors Antosh-Cositar and Gosselin are responsible for these.
Utilities – These areas of responsibility are the water plant operations and water quality, sewage disposal, maintenance of water/sewer lines and hydrants and the RO plant. Councillors R. Thies and Gallant are responsible for this.
The Town of Churcgbridge wants ratepayers to go to the town office to voice concerns and any messages will be replayed to the proper councillor. Due to privacy reasons, councillors’ emails or phone numbers can not be given out to the press, but a ratepayer can certainly go talk to the administrator and have a message relayed to a councillor.
By Gary Horseman
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
garyfourtownjournal@gmail.com
Four-Town+ Journal