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AGENDA - Special General Committee - 20070116SPECIAL GENERAL CO AC ITFEE IDA N0.07-06 TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2007 6:00 P.M. NOTE: PLEASE BRING YOUR COPIES OF THE TERMS OF REFERENCE TO THE MEETING COUNCIL CHAMBERS AURORA TOWN HALL Special General Committee Meeting No. 07-06 Tuesday, January 16, 2007 Page 2 of 2 AGENDA ITEM Review of the Advisory Committees' Terms of Reference RECOMMENDED: THAT the Committee provide direction on this matter. NOTE: PLEASE BRING YOUR COPIES OF THE TERMS OF REFERENCE. CONSIDERED AT THE JANUARY 9, 2007 SPECIAL GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING, TO THIS MEETING. ADDITIONAL ITEMS TABLED FOR SPECIAL GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING Thursday, January 16, 2007 Memorandum from Councillor Buck Re: Advisory Committees AURORA ADDED ITEM -I I youlm in, good, company MEMORANDUM I Councillor Evelyn Buck Date: January 16, 2007 - Special General Committee Meeting To: Mayor and Members of Council From: Councillor Evelyn Buck Re: Advisory Committees I may not be able to attend the Special General Committee meeting this evening. I apologise and I would like to draw your attention to the following matter. When the Environmental Committee was formed during the last term, I raised the matter of cost for staffing. Mr. Jackson assured me he saw his attendance at the committee as part of his function. I was assured by the Mayor there would be no budget for this committee. By the following year there was a budget of $7,200. Members may have noted last week when Mr. Jackson presented his management plan, he included an additional staff person. He stated the new employee could attend the environment committee in his place. I draw your attention to illustrate the point that the citizen advisory committees represent a substantial workload for staff and the practical benefit of this system have never been reviewed. There are abundant records to make a realistic review. I understand that some Councillors are expressing concern about the number of committee meetings held to date. That number will grow when the committees are established and it is Council's prerogative to make decisions which will control realistic management of your time. I believe that by depriving yourselves of the opportunity for an offsite orientation, you have deprived yourselves of the opportunity to thoroughly understand the authority you have and how to use it for best effect. 1 of 2 AURORA you r& 1r good C Mpaxy I have noted that department heads are answering e-mails on week -ends and Cookie Ellis is also sending communications to Councillors at 6.30 p.m. and later. We are obviously not making best use of staff time or there is a need for additional staff. Councillors need to take note of these matters if only for the reason they will inevitably lead to an increase in the tax burden. Sincerely, Councillor Buck 2of2