The Town of Collingwood is in search of dedicated residents to help advise council in making the decisions that affect everyone in the municipality.
March is quickly approaching. It’s a time of the year when many of the advisory terms expire, said Christa Carter, manager, public relations and communications for the Town of Collingwood.
Advisory committees are open to all interested residents, whether they are new to a committee or have served on them previously.
“We struggle to find new committee members, but we always want a diverse representation on our boards,” said Carter. “We are looking for people from all backgrounds, ethnicities. We know it’s difficult for people to find the time right now to commit to volunteering but serving on one of our really does make an impact in Collingwood, because these committees provide council with advice on the decisions they make.”
“It’s a great opportunity for anyone looking to learn more about municipal operations and programming,” said Carter. “The municipal level brings you the closest to reaching people in their everyday lives, and we believe these committees are vital in helping the residents of Collingwood.”
Being a volunteer on one of these committees isn’t a significant time commitment, either, because most committees meet once a month. However, if you are looking to get even more involved, there are subcommittees that provide volunteers with even more opportunities to get involved, Carter said.
“There are many great organizations here also looking for volunteers,” she said. “They are all important, but our committees provide ouncil with the information they need to make decisions that will have an impact on the entire municipality.”
The past few years have made it even easier to volunteer for those with tight schedules, Carter said.
“We have had a lot more opportunities for hybrid meetings, where committee members can join the meeting online,” she said. “However, once the committee members are selected, they discuss meeting dates that are suitable for everyone to attend.”
Committees:
Accessibility Advisory Committee: Provides advice on a wide range of municipal processes to help make public services and facilities accessible to everyone, implementation of accessibility standards, preparation of accessibility reports, review of site plans and drawings by Planning Services, and other matters for which the council may seek its advice or are specified in the AODA regulations.
Collingwood Heritage Committee: Provides advice and assistance with heritage matters involving the Collingwood Heritage Conservation District and the individual properties designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, heritage newsletter, website, heritage grants and awards, and various promotional programs and events.
Museum Advisory Committee: Provides assistance to the Museum in meeting its mandate to collect, preserve, research, house, and exhibit artifacts, and to service the educational, intellectual, and recreational needs and interests of the community of Collingwood.
Trails & Active Transportation Advisory Committee: To foster ongoing stewardship of Collingwood’s multi-use pathways, trails, and on-road bicycle lanes/routes/connections in cooperation with the Engineering Services and Parks, Recreation and Culture (PRC) staff.
Collingwood Police Services Board: The responsibilities of the Board are established by the Police Services Act, soon to be the Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA), which includes determining objectives, and priorities, and establishing local policies for police services, after consultation with the Detachment Commander; to monitor the performance of the Detachment Commander; to receive reports from the Detachment Commander on any secondary activities by police officers in the detachment; and to review the Detachment Commander's administration of the complaints system established by the Police Services Act for dealing with complaints made by any member of the public about the policies of, or the services provided by, the police force.
“We thank everyone who expresses an interest in serving on these committees and boards,” said Carter.
Volunteer applications and information are available on the Town’s website, by email at [email protected] or by visiting Town Hall at 97 Hurontario St. The deadline for applications is February 22, 2024.