North West Community Council

BE IT RESOLVED that the following be adopted by the North West Community Council as its Rules of Procedure and that when and if the same are adopted, the Secretary of the Community Council be instructed to file a certified copy hereof with the Clerk of the Municipal Council.

January 21, 1999

RULES OF PROCEDURE

DEFINITIONS:

1. In this resolution,

(a) "Community Council" means the North West Community Council consisting of the members of the Halifax Regional Council elected in polling district 19, Upper Sackville-Beaver Bank, polling district 20, Lower Sackville and polling district 21, Bedford.

(b) "Member" means a member of a Community Council.

(c) "Chair" means the Chair of the Community Council.

CHAIR:

2. (1) The Community Council shall, at its first meeting, elect a Chair. The first Chair shall hold office until the first meeting of the Community Council to be held in November, 1997, at which meeting the Community Council shall elect a Chair from among its members for a term of one year. Thereafter, the Community Council shall annually elect a Chair from among its members in accordance with the requirements of the Halifax Regional Municipality Act.

(2) The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Community Council and in his or her temporary absence a Chair shall be appointed from the members present.

MEETINGS:

3. (1) There shall be twelve (12) regular meetings of the Community Council in each year to be held on the fourth Thursday in each month, except that if the fourth Thursday shall fall on a holiday, that regular meeting shall not be held. The Community Council may, by resolution, establish a summer meeting schedule.

(2) At the written request of two (2) members of the Community Council, the Clerk shall call a special meeting of the Community Council for the purpose and at the time mentioned in the request, on at least three days' notice.

(3) The Chair, upon the request of two (2) or more members, may cancel a regular meeting of the Community Council for lack of business or other valid reason.

(4) The meetings shall commence at 7:00 o'clock in the afternoon or as otherwise by resolution agreed.

(5) The Community Council shall annually by resolution establish a schedule of meeting sites.

QUORUM:

4. A majority of members of the Community Council shall constitute a quorum.

PROCEDURE:

5. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this resolution, the procedure applicable to meetings of the Council of the Municipality, including the procedures prescribed by the Procedure of Council Administrative Order, shall apply mutatis mutandis to meetings of the Community Council.

(2) Notwithstanding any provision of the Procedure of Council Administrative Order or any other rules of procedure relied upon, the Chair may move and second motions, both substantive and procedural for consideration by the meeting.

MINUTES:

6. (1) If necessary, the Secretary of the Community Council may appoint a recording secretary to assist the Secretary in taking the minutes of each session of the Community Council.

(2) The minutes of each session will be circulated to each Community Council member preceding the next session at which time the minutes, by resolution, will be approved.

(3) Once approved, the minutes will be available for public distribution.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:

7. (1) Regular scheduled meetings of the Community Council will include at the end of its agenda the opportunity for public participation.

(2) During public participation all questions are to be directed through the Chair.

PUBLIC HEARINGS:

8. Public Hearings will be held as required.

REPRESENTATION AND PRESENTATION TO THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL:

9. (1) Interest groups or delegations wishing to make a presentation are required to advise the Secretary of the Community Council two (2) weeks prior to the date of the meeting at which they would like to present.

(2) The Community Council will endeavour to hear the presentation on the date the delegation requested, but, if not possible, at the next regular meeting.

REPEAL

10. The Rules of Procedure adopted on the 23rd of May, 1996 are hereby repealed.

THIS IS TO CERTIFY that the above Rules of Procedure were adopted by motion at a North West Community Council meeting duly held on the 21st day of January, 1999.

GIVEN under the hand of the Secretary of the North West Community Council this day of , 1999.