by Colin Smith
Morinville Council has approved the Board/Committee Membership and Remuneration Policy, a measure incorporating two previously separate policies.
The Administration brought forward the revised policy following a motion made by Councillor Sarah Hall at Council’s January 21 Committee of the Whole Meeting.
The policy combines the updated Board/Committee Commission Membership Policy, passed in April 2017, and the Volunteer Board/Committee Membership Policy, dating from December 2018.
Combining these two separate policies which deal with related subject matter is expected to achieve efficiencies in future policy reviews.
The Board/Committee Membership and Remuneration Policy outlines general criteria for the establishment of permanent municipal boards and committees, and the eligibility, selection and appointment, and accountability and conduct of members.
It also sets out rates for honorariums to be paid to volunteers sitting on boards and committees. These are $50 for up to two hours, $100 for two to four hours, $200 for four to eight hours, and the daily maximum of $300 for more than eight hours.
Honorariums for conference attendance are paid at the daily maximum rate of $200 per day.
The volunteer members are also eligible for reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses for approved activities outside of Morinville.
Mileage is reimbursed at the Government of Alberta rate of $0.505 per kilometer. The established government maximum rate is also used for meal reimbursement. The per-day rate is $9.20 for breakfast, $11.60 for lunch and $20.75 for dinner.
The municipal organizations currently subject to the policy are the Assessment Review Board, Community Services Advisory Committee, Morinville Community Recreation Facility Sponsorship Committee and the Development Appeal Board Traffic Advisory Committee.
