The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) plans to phase out several advisory committees by the end of 2016, change the structure of some and investigate what to do with others in an effort to “open up and broaden the pubic participation for transparency and inclusive purposes.”
During the Jan. 28 corporate and administrative services committee meeting, CAO Janette Loveys reported that a widely held theory “is that over time the advisory committee members become more exclusive in their decision making and the general public’s values are no longer reflected.”
She also noted that terms of reference for the SCRD’s various advisory committees are “often not followed” and that “many of the issues are now cross linked and faceted so the need to look/discuss more broadly on topics and issues is becoming a reality in local government debate and decision making.”
The CAO said she’ll devise a plan to gain more public participation once the advisory committees identified conclude later this year, but that public engagement plan has yet to be presented.
“There are a number of public participation techniques on the continuum which could effectively be applied in place of the current SCRD advisory model,” Loveys stated in her report.
“Staff view this as an opportunity to open up community discussions, reach out to the silent voices, build trust and for the community to gain a better understanding of the SCRD and the services provided.”
Roberts Creek director Mark Lebbell was the only director to raise concern over the elimination of some committees, saying he felt the move could result in the loss of some “long-term place-based understanding and knowledge” of committee members.
“I have hesitation about losing some of that institutional, place-based knowledge,” Lebbell said.
“I kind of liken it to the elders in a First Nations community, that there’s a long-term service piece or a long-term understanding piece. So that’s partly in the back of my head as I look at the recommendations here.”
Other directors felt at ease with the move, putting faith in the new process of public engagement, yet to be identified.
“There’s lots of ways to still involve and engage the community and I look forward to seeing how that develops over this year,” West Howe Sound director Ian Winn said.
“It’s really important to adapt to our times and not just stick to institutions that have been around a long time, and reconsider the purpose of these committees, how they work today, how they engage the public today. It’s in our strategic plan to look at governance in such a way.”
With Lebbell the lone dissenter, board members passed a motion to do away with several advisory committees, change the format of some and investigate what to do with others.
Advisory committees set to conclude later this year include the public wharves advisory committee, the north Pender Harbour water advisory committee, the south Pender Harbour water advisory committee, the Dakota Ridge advisory committee and the agricultural advisory committee.
The wharves advisory committee is set to be phased out by September and the south and north Pender Harbour water advisory committees will be phased out at the end of 2016.
The Dakota Ridge advisory committee will end following the conclusion of the 2016 season and the agricultural advisory committee will be phased out “upon the conclusion of the board approval of the agricultural planning policies which will occur in the spring of 2016.”
Other committees getting the chop ASAP include the recreation and parks services advisory committee and the Hillside development group advisory committee. Staff said the parks and recreation committee has successfully accomplished its goal of helping with the development of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the Hillside group is considered defunct and concluded due to a lack of meetings.
The SCRD plans to switch the Ocean Beach Esplanade stewardship committee into a task force by September, so they can continue their work in a “less formal” role, and turn the natural resources advisory committee into a working technical committee.
The board is seeking more information on how to proceed with the solid waste management plan monitoring advisory committee, the advisory planning commissions and the Gibsons and District fire commission.
Staff will report back with options for those specific committees to a future corporate and administrative services committee meeting.
Just three committees got a nod from the board to continue – the joint watershed management advisory committee, the heritage protocol advisory committee and the joint use committee.
Those committees were set up under formal agreements and are still necessary.
Loveys stressed that the advisory committee changes are meant to help increase public participation, not limit it, and that the SCRD would acknowledge advisory committee members for their time, dedication and contributions over the years.
“I think one of the things that is important for the community, our partners and the board to understand is that in no shape or form is the intention to displace, devalue or downplay any role that any of the members play on this,” Loveys said.
“This is seen more as being open and inclusive and that there are other voices in our community who want to be able to participate. That is the real driving value and intent behind this.”
Staff will now work on preparing and implementing a new public participation program for the SCRD.
