MINUTES

WARD BOUNDARY COMMISSION

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ENGINEERING TRADITIONS COMMITTEE ROOM
PRESENT:
  • Commission Member J. Pinkster, Chair
  • Commission Member K. Jiang, A/Vice-Chair
  • Commission Member E. Bieche
  • Commission Member J. Lucas
  • Commission Member A. Brouwer (non-voting)
ABSENT:
  • Commission Member J. Peterson, Vice-Chair
ALSO PRESENT:
  • City Clerk K. Martin
  • Legislative Advisor A. Lennox

1.
CALL TO ORDER

 

Commission Member Pinkster called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m.

ROLL CALL

Commission Member Bieche, Commission Member Jiang, Commission Member Lucas, Commission Member Brouwer, and Commission Member Pinkster

Absent from Roll Call: Commission Member Peterson

2.
OPENING REMARKS

 

Commission Member Pinkster provided opening remarks and a traditional land acknowledgment.

Following nomination procedures, Commission Member Jiang was elected Acting Vice-Chair of the Ward Boundary Commission, by acclamation.

3.
CONFIRMATION OF AGENDA

 
  • Moved byCommission Member Lucas

    That the Agenda for the 2024 September 9 Regular Meeting of the Ward Boundary Commission be confirmed.

    MOTION CARRIED

4.
CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

 

4.1
Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Ward Boundary Commission, 2024 March 15

This item has attachments. 
1.Unconfirmed Minutes -2024-03-15- Ward Boundary Commission.pdf
  • Moved byCommission Member Jiang

    That the Minutes of the 2024 March 15 Regular Meeting of the Ward Boundary Commission be confirmed.

    MOTION CARRIED

5.
CONSENT AGENDA

 

6.
POSTPONED REPORTS

 

None

7.
ITEMS FROM OFFICERS, ADMINISTRATION AND COMMITTEES

 

7.1
Ward Boundary Commission Report and Recommendations, WBC2024-0979

This item has attachments. 
1.Ward Boundary Commission Report and Recommendations - WBC2024-0979.pdf
2.Attach 1 - Ward Boundary Commission Report - WBC2024-0979.pdf
3.Attach 2 - Administration Preliminary Analysis of Service and Financial Impacts - WBC2024-0979.pdf
4.Attach 3 - Previous Council Direction - WBC2024-0979.pdf
5.Attach 4 - What We Heard Report - WBC2024-0979.pdf
6.Distrib-Presentation-WBC2024-0979.pdf

A presentation entitled "Ward Boundary Commission - Final Report" was distributed with respect to Report WBC2024-0979.

  • Moved byCommission Member Bieche

    That with respect to Report WBC2024-0979, the following be approved:

    ​​That the Ward Boundary Commission recommend that Council approve the following recommendations: 

    1. That Administration engage with Council Members’ offices to prepare impartial administrative reference information before their term of office ends to support the transition and onboarding of newly elected Council Members. Reference materials could include the status of ongoing constituent issues, major projects and associated public consultation and key internal and external contacts, among other things;  
    2. That Administration review programming for Council’s onboarding and continuous learning, with input from Council and their offices. Programming should include professional development and regular training offerings related to governance and financial stewardship, relevant municipal legislation, and constituency office leadership;   
    3. That Administration review onboarding, professional development, and training programming for Council Members’ employees, with input from Council and their offices. Programming should include professional development and regular training offerings related to conflict management, psychological safety, and anti-racism; 
    4. That Administration develop a mental health support strategy including readily available and easily accessible counselling support services for Council and their employees, with input from Council and their offices;
    5. That Administration prepare ward budget structure options for Council’s consideration to respond to unique resource requirements among wards, while maintaining a base budget allocation per ward, with input from Council and their offices;  
    6. That Administration develop a Council Members’ office human resources strategy to address Council Member employee environment gaps, with input from Council and their offices;   
    7. That Administration support Members of Council to establish a consistent and user-friendly format for City of Calgary Council Member webpages to present their vote record and rationale by topic. As well, Administration should establish a link to Council Member vote records and rationale webpages from the Council and Committee meetings landing webpage; 
    8. That educational and communications programming be expanded to share clear information for the public about the roles and responsibilities of Council and municipal government, as well as opportunities for public participation in City decision making;
    9. That all city-wide public opinion research undertaken or commissioned by Administration be designed for and shared at the level of individual wards. This should include developing accessible and customized data dashboards for use by Council Members’ offices;
    10. That Administration develop a partnership with local post-secondaries or another suitable partner to carry out a high-quality survey of Calgarians’ policy priorities and attitudes at least once per year;
    11. That Administration commission one to four citizens’ assemblies per term, each focused on an important and high-profile policy challenge;  
    12. That the next Ward Boundary Commission review and provide recommendations to Council on the representational and organizational considerations related to the introduction of political parties and slates. Their work should include consultation with 2025 General Election parties, slates and candidates, Administration, and other interested parties;
    13. That the next Ward Boundary Commission consider opportunities for Council to share formal accountability for the unique representational needs of the downtown commercial core;
    14. That the name of future commissions be referred to by their primary mandate (such as review of ward boundaries, number of Councillors or effectiveness of the ward system); 
    15. That the Ward Boundary Determination and Review Policy (CP2019-04) be amended to provide that a Ward Boundary Commission be appointed to lead the review of all ward boundaries impacting communities, regardless of the number of wards requiring adjustment. Any ward boundary adjustments should continue to be led by the City Clerk's Office; and  
    16. That the Ward Boundary Determination and Review Policy (CP2019-04) be amended to remove Section 6.1.2, "Total Electors," and that the next ward boundary commission examine the Policy criteria to ensure continued relevance.​ 
    MOTION CARRIED

8.
ITEMS DIRECTLY TO COMMITTEE

 

9.
URGENT BUSINESS

 

None

10.
CONFIDENTIAL ITEMS

 

11.
BRIEFINGS

 

None

12.
ADJOURNMENT

 
  • Moved byCommission Member Jiang

    That this meeting adjourn at 10:18 a.m.

    MOTION CARRIED

    The following Item has been forwarded to the 2024 September 17 Regular Meeting of Council:

    ITEMS FROM OFFICERS, ADMINISTRATION AND COMMITTEES

    COMMITTEE REPORTS

    • Ward Boundary Commission Report and Recommendations, WBC2024-0979

    CONFIRMED BY COMMISSION ON


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