Administrative Procedure: Public Participation at Board Meetings
|
EFFECTIVE DATE:
October 25, 2006
|
R
E
F
E
R
E
N
C
E
S
|
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE CODE:
3.A.10
|
AMENDED DATE:
February, 2024
|
Policy Reference
|
|
Legal Reference
|
|
|
|
The Board of Trustees wishes to provide avenues for all residents of the Border Land School Division to express their interests, wishes and concerns respecting any aspect of the educational system. Accordingly, except where a motion is made to convene in Committee of the Whole, all Board meetings shall be open to the public and the public is cordially invited to attend.
It is the right of any individual, organization, or group from within the Division to make a presentation to the Board. The Board may, on occasion, be in a position to make an immediate decision about a specific matter presented, but generally will require additional time to gather information or to have the subject studied. Notification of the decision of the Board will be provided in a timely manner after appropriate study or review.
Procedure
In order to ensure that persons or groups who wish to appear before the Board or to ask questions of the Board are given fair opportunity to do so, while at the same time allowing the Board to conduct its meeting properly and efficiently, the following procedures will apply:
Delegations
-
- Individuals or groups wishing to appear before the Board as a delegation shall notify the Secretary-Treasurer of their intention by giving notice at least 7 business days immediately preceding the regularly scheduled meeting of the Board at which they wish to appear.
- Requests received for the appearance of a delegation after that deadline may be authorized by the Chair in extenuating circumstances only.
- Where, in the opinion of the Chair there is substantive reason to do so, a delegation requesting to appear before the Board at a given meeting may be deferred to the next regular meeting of the Board.
- Individuals or groups wishing to appear as a delegation shall, at the time they give such indication, provide information respecting the topic and content of their presentation.
- Any persons wishing to appear as a delegation shall give their names, addresses, and the name of the group that is represented, if any.
- The delegation will be advised of the time when the presentation will be heard, and will be provided with information on procedures pertaining to such presentations.
- The delegation shall provide written copies of the presentation, to be distributed to Trustees and Senior Administration, with 24 hours of being notified of the acceptance to delegate.
- Presentations will be received at open board meetings. Where appropriate, delegations may be heard in Committee of the Whole.
- Presentations from individuals or presentations made on behalf of a group shall be limited to 15 minutes. The Chair may grant an extension of time if warranted.
- The individual petitioner or the spokesperson for the delegation shall present when invited by the chair to do so.
- The Chair shall be responsible for recognizing all speakers and maintaining proper order and decorum in keeping with Board Policy.
- At the conclusion of a given presentation, trustees shall confine their remarks to questions for information and clarification only.
- The presentation will be terminated by the Chair when satisfied that the Board has received as much information from the delegation as is required.
- At the conclusion of the presentation, the Chair shall indicate when response from the Board may be expected.
- The presentation of any delegations shall be addressed by the Board at another point in the meeting on the same evening as the delegation was received. In addressing the presentation, the Board may act upon the matter, table the matter pending receipt of additional information, or refer it to committee and/or Administration for further consideration and/or action.
Public Question Period
- The question period shall allow any resident, student, or employee of Border Land School Division to address the Board.
- The nature of the address shall be limited to questions for information or clarification or to make general comment to the Board. Personnel matters or requests to the Board to undertake a specific action will not be entertained.
- Questions posed by the public shall, when possible, be answered by the Chair or by referral to administrative staff. Questions which, in the opinion of the Chair, may require investigation shall be referred to a Board committee and /or Administration for consideration and later response.