A staff recommendation to “dissolve” five committees and combine them into one “super committee” was referred back to staff at Monday’s (Dec. 3) council meeting.
The report recommended council “dissolve” the Cultural Development Advisory, Diversity Advisory, Public Art Advisory, Parks, Recreation and Sport Tourism and Seniors Advisory committees, and instead combine the five into one committee called the Parks, Recreation and Culture Committee. The plan was for the committee to be chaired by Mayor Doug McCallum and the rest of council would have also been on the standing committee.
The Parks, Recreation and Culture Committee, according to the report, would have been established for a one-year period starting on Jan. 1, 2019. The report adds the committee would “be supported by staff from Parks, Recreation and Culture department and other city staff at the request of the committee.”
Councillor Steven Pettigrew put a motion on the table that the second item (to dissolve the five committees) be “referred back to staff for additional consultation, that council can have additional consultation.”
“The reasons for myself is I feel the need to have more discussion on this as far as the make-up of this new parks and rec committee,” Pettigrew said.
Councillor Doug Elford said he agreed with the referral.
“I think we’ve created a super committee here, with parks and rec,” said Elford, adding that the agenda for the committee could be “quite burdensome.”
“I’d like to see and discuss how we can take some of the burden away from the parks and rec committee. It’s our biggest, and I feel, one of our most important committees,” Elford said.
Councillor Linda Annis said she had a “particular interest to see the arts and culture revisited.” Councillor Allison Patton voted against the referral back to staff.
The report also recommended council establish two new task forces: the Public Engagement Task Force and the Truck Parking Task Force. Both would be for a period of one year.
According to the report, the purpose of the Public Engagement Task Force would be “to review global best practices in community engagement with a focus on moving beyond traditional solutions for citizen participation.”
The Truck Parking Task Force, reads the report, would be “to implement viable solutions for truck parking operations within the city.”
In the report, staff also made recommendations for council to endorse councillors as chairs and community liaisons to some committees, task forces and boards.
All of council was appointed to both the Public Safety and the Transportation and Infrastructure committees.
For the Agriculture and Food Security Advisory, Councillor Jack Hundial was endorsed as chair. Hundial was also endorsed to the Audit Committee, a member of the library board and chair of the Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel.
Councillor Steven Pettigrew was appointed as chair of the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee.
For the Social Policy Advisory Committee, Councillor Brenda Locke was endorsed as the chair. She was also appointed as a member of the Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel.
Councillor Linda Annis was appointed as chair of the Surrey Heritage Advisory Board. She was also endorsed to the audit committee by the mayor.
Councillor Laurie Guerra was endorsed as the community liaison for the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation and for the Fraser Health Municipal Government Advisory Committee. Guerra was also appointed as chair for the Public Engagement Task Force.
For the Lower Fraser Valley Association (Cloverdale Rodeo Board), council endorsed Councillor Doug Elford as the community liason. Elford was also appinted as a member of the Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel.
Councillor Allison Patton was endorsed as the community liaison for the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation.
For the Truck Parking Task Force, Councillor Mandeep Nagra was appointed as chair.
For each of the committees, McCallum asked that staff report back with a work plan and updated terms of reference as soon as possible.
Following the appoinments, the city clerk will now be advertising for the public to apply for volunteer positions with the committees.
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