When I went back and reviewed the various board and committee meetings I've attended over the past couple of months, never mind the other kinds of meetings (such as four about the river freeze-up and concerns about seepage flooding in Lower West Peace), it became apparent why life was suddenly feeling so much busier. There haven't been any meetings that I would consider a waste of time and they've all given me a broader look at the important work of various agencies and organizations as well as the work of the staff of the Town of Peace River and the Mayor and Town Councillors.
COUNCILLOR REPORT: LESLIE AYRE-JASCHKE
JANUARY 28, 2008
Aboriginal Interagency Committee
I’ve attended two meetings of this group, which is coordinated by Alberta Child & Family Services, chaired by Dennis Whitford of CFSA and Corinna Reimert, Aboriginal Liaison at the Peace River Health Centre. The Interagency includes representatives from a range of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal organizations that are active in the Peace area, including Manning and
The AIC is working with CFSA on an initiative to try to increase the number of Aboriginal foster homes available. Another important activity is planning and fundraising for the annual Aboriginal Gathering which will be held in
Community Health Council
The council has not yet met since I was appointed. The next meeting is scheduled for February.
North Peace Housing Coalition
A news conference about the preliminary housing report that I prepared prior to election to Council was held on Wednesday, January 16. My contract with the coalition is now complete and I’ve been released, at my request, from the remainder of the contract.
As per the motion at the January 14 Council meeting, I now am the Town Council representative on the coalition and will report to Council accordingly.
Peace River Municipal Library Board
I attended my first board meeting on January 22.
· The new librarian, Chelsea Ferguson, was introduced and welcomed back to
· The library board is looking for new members. Anyone interested is encouraged to contact Heather Schramm, the board chair at 624-4815 or email: heather_43@hotmail.com.
· The 2007 financial statements were reviewed and thanks given to Chantal Patterson, who did a large amount of work after her resignation as librarian to complete these.
· Linda Duplessis of the Peace Library System (PLS) did a presentation on the wide range of services offered to the local library as a result of our membership. Council members may want to visit the library website to find out more about the services it provides and for a link to the PLS. The PLS provides the benefits of a network and partnerships, such as centralized ordering (which results in significant discounts), cataloguing and delivery, advice from professional librarians, coordination of granting programs, technical support and training for local staff, among others. With the TRAC/TAL library card you can borrow books from 240 participating libraries and access a variety of databases from home (including ones on auto repair, genealogy, among others). Go to the Peace River Municipal Library website and click on PLS for more information. http://www.prmlibrary.ab.ca/
Town of Peace River
I’ve attended two meetings of this committee, which addresses issues related to Town of
· A series of workshops are being offered for staff by the Alberta Municipal Health & Safety Association (AMHSA) on January 29-31. Topics include: Overview of Occupational Health & Safety Act, Regulations and Code (I am taking this one, as a member of the H&S Committee); Hazard Identification; Formal Workplace Inspections; and Incident Investigations.
· We received the results of the 2007 Municipal Health and Safety Audit. The Town of Peace River exceeded the minimum standards of the audit, which allows us to maintain the Town’s Certificate of Recognition and to receive a 5% rebate from the Town’s annual Workers’ Compensation Board contribution.
The following elements make up the audit, which is done every three years by external auditors (2007) and followed up annually with internal auditors: Organizational Commitment, Hazard Control, Formal Workplace Inspections, Orientation & Training, Emergency Response Planning, Incident Investigations, and Program Administration. The H&S Committee will be working with the departments to review the report and develop an action plan for addressing ways to further improve in each of these areas.
Town of Peace River
I’ve attended two meetings of the commission since being appointed. There is one more meeting scheduled in January. We meet with Amy Murphy, Development Officer, to review development proposals.
Town of Peace River
I attended my first meeting of this committee on January 21. This committee’s mandate is to address issues of concern around insurance and the public’s well-being. Due to the large number of new members, this meeting was used as an orientation and an introduction to the Alberta Municipal Services Corporation (AMSC) Risk Management Manual and accompanying modules that the committee will use to guide its work in the area of risk identification and management. The AMSC is an arms-length body of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) created in 2005 that provides a wide variety of services to urban municipalities, including insurance. For more information about AMSC, go to http://www.munilink.net/live/AMSC/About+AMSC
Intermunicipal Mutual Aid Committee
This committee hasn’t met since I was appointed.
Other Activities
Municipal Elected Officials Course
Along with Councillors Hancock and Heinen, I attended this half-day workshop in
AEMA website: http://www.aema.alberta.ca/
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