Niagara Road 12 Landfill Site Citizen's Liaison Committee - Terms of Reference as of Jan. 20, 2022

Preamble

The Niagara Road 12 Citizen Liaison Committee was formed in 1994 by the Board of Management that was administered by towns of Grimsby, Lincoln, Pelham and the Township of West Lincoln. The goal of the committee was to assist the Board of Management in its efforts to evaluate and implement a Solid Waste Disposal Site that was consistent with Provincial policies, at the preferred Niagara Road 12 candidate site located on Concession Road #7 in the Township of West Lincoln. The Niagara Road 12 Landfill Site opened in October 1995.

On January 1, 1997, Niagara Region assumed jurisdiction for the Niagara Road 12 Landfill Site. The primary focus and the purpose of the Citizen Liaison Committee remains consistent with the original Terms of Reference for the Committee.

Mandate

The Citizen Liaison Committee is a "Citizens" Committee established by the former Board of Management. It reports to Regional Council through the Waste Management Planning Steering Committee and Public Works Committee on matters related to the operation of the landfill site.

The mandate of the committee is to advise and assist Niagara Region with the identification and resolution of issues (including those raised by the community) related to the operation, monitoring and closure of the Niagara Road 12 Landfill Site located in West Lincoln in accordance with these Terms of Reference.

The committee shall act as an advisor/assistant to Niagara Region Council. Pursuant to Niagara Region Procedural By-law, as updated from time to time, these Terms of Reference do not give the committee the power to commit Niagara Region to any particular action or to give specific direction to any Niagara Region staff member without the approval of Council.

Goal / purpose

The Niagara Road 12 Landfill includes all activities that are conducted within the boundaries of the facility (e.g. composting facilities, leachate collection systems, ground and surface water monitoring, residential waste and recycling drop-off depot, etc.). The goal and purpose of the Committee includes:

Review and comment on study results and reports, plans and other related documents regarding the Niagara Road 12 Landfill site
Provide a route for ongoing public input into Niagara Region studies that could impact on the operations and use of the Niagara Road 12 Landfill site
Bring forward information to this Committee for discussion on new technologies e.g. bio digestion, incineration, plasma technology, etc. that can extend the life of landfill sites
Examine operations at the Niagara Road 12 Landfill and provide comments related to those operations, the monitoring program and closure and end use plans
Serve as the focal point for the collection, review and exchange of information to facilitate Niagara Region's efforts to continuously improve its landfill site operations, maintenance and monitoring
Assist Niagara Region in identifying any impacts of the Niagara Road 12 Landfill site on the surrounding community
Provide input into the development of measures to mitigate impacts
Examine and comment on site designs, operations, maintenance, monitoring programs, potential environmental issues, closure and end use plans if requested
Examine and advise on Niagara Road 12 Landfill site issues brought forward by members of the general community, including businesses, residents, institutions, area municipalities and local organizations
Build a strong liaison with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and Niagara Region in order that the public is kept up-to-date on procedures, policy and plan developments, and revisions
Provide comments on materials to be distributed to the public when appropriate
Ensure that the Niagara Road 12 Landfill is managed in accordance with regulatory requirements and environmental protection best practices
Act as a liaison with the communities in which the Niagara Road 12 Landfill is located

Reporting structure

The Citizen Liaison Committee will report to Regional Council through the Waste Management Planning Steering Committee and Public Works Committee.

Budget

The Citizen Liaison Committee shall have an annual operating budget to be used for valid Committee purposes as detailed in the budget approved by Regional Council for the current year.

The Committee shall submit a budget request each year to Regional Council for its consideration and approval. The maximum funding available for Committee operations in any given year is $6,000.

There shall be no compensation payable to the members of the Committee.

Membership

Composition

Membership for the Citizen Liaison Committee shall not exceed a maximum of 11 members. Membership for the committee shall include:

Up to seven residents of the area immediately surrounding the landfill site, in the Township of West Lincoln and in the Town of Grimsby
Four councillors: one each from the Township of West Lincoln, Town of Grimsby, Town of Pelham and the Town of Lincoln

The remainder of the membership may target but is not limited to the following commodity/interest groups:

Not applicable

All attempts will be made to stay within the guideline composition; however, if the applications received or the qualifications of applicants do not fully address the guideline composition criteria, the most capable and qualified applicants will be recommended for appointment to fulfill the membership composition.

Term

The term of membership shall be four years, concurrent with Regional Council's elected term of office, and the membership shall be approved by Council in accordance with membership requirements in the Terms of Reference.

Privacy

The meetings of the Citizen Liaison Committee are public. Members should be aware that their names will be in the public realm and membership list will be provided on the Region's website. Member information, other than name or municipality, will be kept confidential in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Roles and responsibilities

Chair and vice chair

A Chair and Vice Chair will be elected from committee members on a biannual basis at the first meeting of the new year to preside over meetings and Committee business.

It is the role of the Chair to preside over committee meetings so that business can be carried out efficiently and effectively, and to act as a liaison between the committee, and the Waste Management Planning Steering Committee.

It is the role of the Vice Chair to preside over committee meetings in the absence of the Chair and to perform any other duties delegated by the Chair or as assigned by the committee through a majority vote.

Committee members

All Citizen Liaison Committee members, including the Chair and Vice Chair, have the responsibility to help achieve the committee's mandate and goals / purposes. Committee members are also responsible for:

Reviewing meeting materials in advance of the meetings and arriving prepared to provide a broad perspective on the issues under consideration
Working diligently to complete assigned activities
Participating on working groups, as appropriate
Agreeing to describe, process and resolve issues in a professional and respectful manner
Providing input to help identify future projects or strategic priorities for future years' work
Communicating activities of the committee to groups represented or those who may have an interest and offer information back to the committee

Working groups

To fulfill its mandate and accomplish its goals, the Citizen Liaison Committee may establish working groups to deal with specific issues or projects. The working groups will meet, as needed, to review specific issues referred to them by the committee and otherwise complete their assigned tasks.

Working groups are considered to be time-limited, project specific sub-committees of the Citizen Liaison Committee in that they are convened to accomplish a specific task (or tasks) in a narrowly defined time period.

Working groups must be comprised of at least three members of the committee and may include community members and other individuals with relevant knowledge and expertise. Local municipal participation should be sought depending on the nature of the work being undertaken.

Working groups shall be chaired where possible by a voting member of the committee and shall provide regular updates to the committee regarding recommendations on assigned projects. Meeting notes of the working group shall be recorded and submitted to the committee for proper directing through the approval process. Working groups may meet at a time and place as decided by the members of the working group.

Administrative support shall be provided by a staff representative of the Committee or designate. The appropriate staff representative (or designate) will attend all working group meetings.

Resources

The Public Works department is the designated lead department providing resource support for the Citizen Liaison Committee; however, the Committee also has access to the technical expertise of staff from other Regional departments as may be required. It is recognized that staff time and the level of participation will be dependent on other departmental priorities as determined by senior management and/or Regional Council. As required, additional resources may be sought. Additional resourcing may be required for projects with senior levels of government.

Meetings

A meeting schedule following a quarterly cycle shall be set for the Citizen Liaison Committee. The schedule will be circulated to the members for approval each year. Should a time sensitive matter arise, the committee may meet at the call of the Chair.

Committee meetings will be held at the Niagara Road 12 Landfill or at a place as may be designated and at a time as determined by the members. All meetings will be open to the public.

Meetings shall be governed by the Region's Procedural By-law, being a by-law to govern the calling, place and proceedings of the meetings of Council and its Committees, as may be amended from time-to-time.

A majority of members (50 per cent plus one) is necessary to form a quorum of the committee.

A committee member who is unable to attend a meeting, shall forward their regrets to the staff representative as soon as possible.

Absenteeism

Members who miss three unauthorized consecutive meetings shall be deemed to have resigned from the committee and will be notified of this in writing by the Committee Chair.

Amendments to the terms of reference

The Terms of Reference should be reviewed and refined at a minimum of every four years to ensure that they remain current and meaningful.

Proposals to amend the Terms of Reference shall require the approval of a majority of the members present. Proposed amendments to the Terms of Reference shall be submitted to Regional Council for approval through the Waste Management Planning and Steering Committee and shall take effect only upon the approval of Council.