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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNominating Committee Minutes June 23, 2021 Cape Breton Regional Municipality
Nominating Committee
Minutes
Wednesday,
June 23, 2021
10:00 a.m.
Via Videoconference
Mayor Amanda M. McDougall called the meeting to order.
Present: Mayor Amanda M. McDougall, Chair
Councillor Gordon MacDonald
Councillor Steve Gillespie
Councillor Eldon MacDonald
Councillor Glenn Paruch
Councillor Steve Parsons
Staff. Marie Walsh, Chief Administrative Officer
Deborah Campbell Ryan, Municipal Clerk
John MacKinnon, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
Sharon MacSween, Recording Secretary
Absent: N/A
Nominating Committee
Minutes June 23,2021 Approved January 17,2022 Page- 2
Summary of Decisions
Land Acknowledgement
Roll Call
1. Approval of Minutes:
Motion to approve the Nominating Committee Minutes from:
➢ December 8, 2020
➢ May 11, 2021
Carried.
2. Approval of Agenda:
Motion to approve the June 23, 2021 Nominating Committee Agenda and Addendum as
circulated. Carried.
3. Report on Call for Expressions of Interest — Citizen Representatives on
Committees:
a) Cape Breton Island Housing Authority:
Motion that a recommendation be made to Council to refer the following citizens to the
Nova Scotia Minister of Community Services for appointment to the Cape Breton Island
Housing Authority Board:
Candidate 41
Candidate 43
Candidate 44
Carried.
b) Diversity Committee(and Addendum re: Resignation
Motion that staff be directed to issue a fourth call for citizen volunteers to fill the vacant
positions on the Diversity Committee [i.e. one representative from Cape Breton University
(CBU), and one from the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education
(CBVRCE)], which is to be advertised on social media only (i.e. no newspaper ad), and that
both the CBU and CBVRCE be contacted directly requesting volunteer representatives for
a two-year term. Carried.
Continued...
Nominating Committee
Minutes June 23,2021 Approved January 17,2022 Page- 3
Summary of Decisions (Cont'd):
Report on Call for Expressions of Interest- Citizen Representatives on Committees (Cont'd):
Diversity Committee(Cont'd):
Motion that staff be directed to reach out to the potential candidate as referenced in the staff
Memo and ask if they would be interested in putting their name forward to serve on the
Diversity Committee as a Community Member at Large. However, if they decline, then the
vacant position will be included in the fourth call for the vacancies on the Diversity Committee.
Carried.
C) Port of Sydney Development Corporation(PSDC)Board:
Motion that a recommendation be made to Council to appoint the following citizens to the
Port of Sydney Development Corporation:
Expertise in Marketing
Candidate 46
Expertise in Business and Commerce
Candidate 48
Carried.
Motion that staff be directed to issue a second call for citizen volunteers to fill the vacancy for
the professional engineering position on the PSDC Board,which is to be advertised on social
media only(i.e.no newspaper ad), and that the Engineers Nova Scotia Association be contacted
directly to ask that they notify their members who are residents of CBRM of the vacancy and
advise that they can put their name forward to serve on the PSDC Board for a two-year term, if
interested. Further,the individual that contacted the CEO of the Port regarding this vacancy
should also be contacted to suggest submitting a formal application if they are interested in
serving on that Board. Carried.
Public Discussion of Applicant Information:
Motion that the Mayor, representing the Nominating Committee, approach the Department
of Municipal Affairs to request clarification on the nominating committee process as it
relates to holding in camera sessions in order to protect the identity of citizens putting their
names forward to serve on Committees so that their personal information contained in the
applications can be discussed in private. Carried.
ADJOURNMENT
Nominating Committee
Minutes June 23,2021 Approved January 17,2022 Page- 4
Land Acknowledgement
Roll Call
1. Approval of Minutes:
Motion:
Moved by Councillor Parsons, seconded by Councillor Paruch, approval of the December
8, 2020 Nominating Committee Minutes as circulated.
Motion Carried.
Motion:
Moved by Councillor Gillespie, seconded by Councillor Parsons, approval of the May 11,
2021 Nominating Committee Minutes as circulated.
Motion Carried.
2. Approval of Agenda:
Motion:
Moved by Councillor Gordon MacDonald, seconded by Councillor Eldon MacDonald,
approval of the June 23, 2021 Nominating Committee Agenda and Addendum as
circulated.
Motion Carried.
3. Report on Call for Expressions of Interest — Citizen Representatives on
Committees:
Deborah Campbell Ryan, Municipal Clerk, reviewed her Memo that was included in the
agenda package, noting the public advertisements for expressions of interest and the
application deadline was June 7, 2021.
The Clerk reviewed suggested next steps and recommendations as noted in her Memo. It
was noted that a confidential matrix of all applicants was circulated separately.
Agreed by consensus that each Committee will be addressed separately.
Continued...
Nominating Committee
Minutes June 23,2021 Approved January 17,2022 Page- 5
Report on Call for Expressions of Interest—Citizen Representatives on Committees (Cont'd):
a) Cape Breton Island Housing Authority:
The Clerk advised that 5 submissions were received for the Housing Authority, however one
application was withdrawn as the individual was eligible to be appointed as a tenant
representative. Three representatives are required for the Board.
Mayor McDougall then opened the floor for nominations.
• Councillor Gillespie recommended Candidate 41.
• Councillor Paruch recommended Candidate 44.
• Councillor Gordon MacDonald recommended Candidate 42.
• Councillor Eldon MacDonald recommended Candidate 43.
Mayor McDougall noted that because all 4 Candidates have been nominated and only 3 are
required, a vote would be taken.
John MacKinnon, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, agreed to facilitate the vote via the
Zoom direct chat.
The Clerk noted that the Committee members should vote for no more than three (3)
applicants.
After Committee votes were tallied, the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer provided the
results and then the following motion was put forward:
Motion:
Moved by Councillor Eldon MacDonald, seconded by Councillor Paruch, that a
recommendation be made to Council to refer the following citizens to the Nova Scotia
Minister of Community Services for appointment to the Cape Breton Island Housing
Authority Board:
• Candidate 41
• Candidate 43
• Candidate 44
Motion Carried.
Continued...
Nominating Committee
Minutes June 23,2021 Approved January 17,2022 Page- 6
Report on Call for Expressions of Interest—Citizen Representatives on Committees (Cont'd):
b) Diversity Committee(and Addendum re: Resignation)
Ms. Campbell Ryan advised that no applications were received for the vacant positions on
the Diversity Committee, namely one representative for both Cape Breton University and
the Cape Breton Victoria Regional Centre for Education. It was noted that Councillor
Parsons contacted the Centre for Education and they did provide a name, however the Clerk
indicated that an email was sent to the individual asking for a letter of application, however
none was received. The Clerk also advised that the Mayor contacted CBU Student Union
asking for volunteers to serve, but no applications were received.
Motion:
Moved by Councillor Eldon MacDonald, seconded by Councillor Parsons, that staff be
directed to issue a fourth call for citizen volunteers to fill the vacant positions on the
Diversity Committee [i.e. one representative from Cape Breton University (CBU), and one
from the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education (CBVRCE)], which is to be
advertised on social media only (i.e. no newspaper ad), and that both the CBU and
CBVRCE be contacted directly requesting volunteer representatives for a two-year term.
Discussion:
During discussion, a question was raised by Councillor Paruch regarding amending the
Governance Policy for the Diversity Committee to address quorum issues.
Motion Carried.
Referring the Agenda Addendum, the Clerk advised that her office received notice on June
22nd that Susan McDonald resigned from the Diversity Committee due to unexpected
increase in travel requirements. The Clerk pointed out there is a potential candidate from
the recent call for citizens that could serve as a member at large on this Committee and
recommended that staff reach out to that person and ask if they would be interested in
putting their name forward to serve on the Diversity Committee as a Community Member
at Large. If the individual declines, or if the Committee does not want to approach them,
then the vacant position should be included in the upcoming advertisement on social media
calling for citizen volunteers.
Motion:
Moved by Councillor Parsons, seconded by Councillor Gordon MacDonald, that staff be
directed to reach out to the potential candidate as referenced in the staff Memo and ask if they
would be interested in putting their name forward to serve on the Diversity Committee as a
Community Member at Large. However, if they decline, then the vacant position will be
included in the fourth call for the vacancies on the Diversity Committee.
Discussion:
In response to a question, the Clerk advised that if the potential candidate is not interested
in putting their name forward for the Member at Large vacancy, that this position will be
included in expression of interest on social media.
Motion Carried.
Continued...
Nominating Committee
Minutes June 23,2021 Approved January 17,2022 Page- 7
Report on Call for Expressions of Interest—Citizen Representatives on Committees (Cont'd):
b) Port of Sydney Development Corporation(PSDC)Board:
The Clerk advised that as directed by this Committee, staff reached out to the recent
applicants who were not appointed for the engineering and marketing vacancies on the
PSDC Board asking if they wanted to re-offer should they have the qualifications. After
the poll, it was determined that there were candidates with marketing expertise but there
was no one with a professional engineering designation, thus the public advertisement
included that position for a 2-year term. It was also noted that the CEO of the PSDC
received an inquiry from a professional engineer about serving on their Board, however it
was after the application deadline.
The Clerk reported that after the advertisement was issued, it was brought to staff's
attention that a recent citizen appointment to the Port Board was ineligible due to their
employment with a Federal Crown Corporation. Peter Gillis works for Marine Atlantic and
under PSDC's Articles of Association, an employee of a federal crown corporation is
ineligible to serve on the Board. Mr. Gillis was advised of this oversight and then
graciously resigned from the Board, noting that he was not aware that he was ineligible.
Council was notified of this matter by the Clerk on June 2nd
The Clerk explained that Mr. Gillis was selected from the recent call for citizens with
expertise in business and commerce. Those same applicants were polled to find out if they
wanted to re-offer as a member with expertise in marketing; therefore they can be
considered for the vacant position for an individual with expertise in business and
commerce position.
Mayor McDougall noted the citizens who are reoffering to serve on the PSDC Board as
members with expertise in marketing and in business and commerce, however that a second call
would be required with respect to the professional engineer position.
Mayor McDougall then opened the floor for nominations:
Expertise in Marketing:
• Councillor Eldon MacDonald recommended Candidate 46.
• Councillor Glenn Paruch recommended Candidate 48.
Nominations ceased at this point in the meeting.
The Deputy Chief Administrative Officer facilitated the vote by the Zoom direct chat. After
Committee votes were counted, the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer advised that there
was a tie between the two candidates.
Continued...
Nominating Committee
Minutes June 23,2021 Approved January 17,2022 Page- 8
Report on Call for Expressions of Interest—Citizen Representatives on Committees (Cont'd):
Port of Sydney Development Corporation(PSDC)Board(Cont'd):
In response to a question from Mayor McDougall, the Clerk advised that in the event of a
tie vote, the candidate should be selected by lot.
At this point, Councillor Eldon MacDonald advised the Committee that Candidate 46 is
eligible for both expertise in marketing and expertise in business in commerce. He pointed
out that if that candidate 48 was not selected for the position with expertise in marketing,
that they are eligible to be considered for the position with expertise in business and
commerce.
The Deputy Chief Administrative Officer facilitated the draw by lot with the assistance of
the Chief Administrative Officer.
Candidate 46 was drawn as the successful candidate. Mayor McDougall advised that
Candidate 46 will be recommended to Council as the individual with expertise in marketing
on the PSDC Board.
Expertise in Business & Commerce:
Mayor McDougall then opened the floor for nominations for the vacant position on the PSDC
with expertise in business and commerce.
• Councillor Gillespie recommended Candidate 47.
• Councillor Parsons recommended Candidate 48.
Seeing no further nominations, nominations ceased.
The Deputy Chief Administrative Officer facilitated the vote by the Zoom direct chat. After
Committee votes were counted, the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer advised that
Candidate 48 was successful.
The following motion was then put forward:
Continued...
Nominating Committee
Minutes June 23,2021 Approved January 17,2022 Page- 9
Report on Call for Expressions of Interest—Citizen Representatives on Committees (Cont'd):
Port of Sydney Development Corporation(PSDC)Board(Cont'd):
Motion:
Moved by Councillor Eldon MacDonald, seconded by Councillor Gillespie, that a
recommendation be made to Council to appoint the following citizens to the Port of Sydney
Development Corporation:
Expertise in Marketing
Candidate 46
Expertise in Business and Commerce
Candidate 48
Motion Carried.
At this point, the Clerk asked for direction from the Committee to address the position
requiring a professional engineering designation.
After discussion, the following motion was put forward:
Motion:
Moved by Councillor Gillespie, seconded by Councillor Paruch, that staff be directed to issue
a second call for citizen volunteers to fill the vacancy for the professional engineering position
on the PSDC Board, which is to be advertised on social media only (i.e. no newspaper ad), and
that the Engineers Nova Scotia Association be contacted directly to ask that they notify their
members who are residents of CBRM of the vacancy and advise that they can put their name
forward to serve on the PSDC Board for a two-year term, if interested. Further, the individual
that contacted the CEO of the Port regarding this vacancy should also be contacted to suggest
submitting a formal application if they are interested in serving on that Board.
Motion Carried.
Public Discussion of Applicant Information:
Committee and staff discussed the criteria under the MGA for holding in camera meetings and
the fact that the personal information in citizen applications/resumes does not meet the test for
such meetings, thus they must be dealt with in open session. Reference was also made to the
process used by HRM. The Committee members agreed that this was a challenge as they could
only refer to the applicants by number and not discuss their qualifications.
It was suggested that Municipal Affairs should be contacted for clarification on same.
Continued...
Nominating Committee
Minutes June 23,2021 Approved January 17,2022 Page- 10
Public Discussion of Applicant Information(Cont'd):
The following motion was then forward:
Motion:
Moved by Councillor Parsons, seconded by Councillor Eldon MacDonald, that the Mayor,
representing the Nominating Committee, approach the Department of Municipal Affairs to
request clarification on the nominating committee process as it relates to holding in camera
sessions in order to protect the identity of citizens putting their names forward to serve on
Committees so that their personal information contained in the applications can be
discussed in private.
Discussion:
The Clerk asked that when the Mayor reaches out to Municipal Affairs, to request that this
be considered in the Charter as one of the criteria for in camera sessions. Mayor
McDougall that she will be meeting with Municipal Affairs staff to discuss the Charter next
week and this will be added to the list.
Motion Carried.
Adjournment 10:58 a.m.
Mayor Amanda M. McDougall Deborah Campbell Ryan
Chair Municipal Clerk
/slm