GENERAL COMMITTEE - COMMUNITY SERVICES AND ENVIRONMENT
	TO:	Mayor and Members of Council
	FROM:	Barbara M. Roth, Director, Recreation and Culture Services
	PREPARED BY:	David Scott, Manager, Markham Theatre
	DATE OF MEETING:	2005-Sep-12
	SUBJECT:	Markham Theatre Advisory Board - Proposed Composition and Terms of Reference

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report entitled “Markham Theatre Advisory Board - Proposed Composition and Terms of Reference” be received;

AND THAT the terms set out in Appendix A (attached) - Composition and Terms of Reference document be approved;

AND THAT the proposed changes in the Markham Theatre Advisory Board be implemented over the next three years as outlined in the report.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to present to Council and seek approval of the revised Terms of Reference and Composition for the Markham Theatre Advisory Board.

BACKGROUND:

Over the last two years, the role of the Theatre Advisory Board has evolved. This evolution has included a need to focus more on the fund development and sponsorship at the Markham Theatre. Town Council was asked in December of 2004 to allow staff to study the matter and return with recommended changes to the composition and role of the Markham Theatre Advisory Board.

Currently, the need required for the Theatre is to develop contacts within the community to ensure successful sponsorship and fund raising campaigns as well as support for special events. These functions require community members to undertake additional responsibilities as well as the on-going business operations of the Theatre.

The current Board composition is large with the following representation.

Voting Members (18 voting members)

· 12 Community Members

· 4 Members of Town Council

· 1 Unionville High School Principal

· 1 York Region District School Board Trustee

Ex-officio (voting member)

· Mayor of Markham

Staff Members (4 non-voting members)

· Markham Theatre Manager

· Director, Recreation & Culture Services

· Commissioner of Community and Fire Services

· CAO – Town of Markham

With such a large Advisory Board, it has been difficult to regularly get a quorum and conduct meaningful business at meetings.

OPTIONS/DISCUSSION:

The following highlights the revisions that are being proposed to provide clarity and focus the group on the key activity of sponsorship and fundraising.

Proposed Name Change

Rename the Markham Theatre Board to be known as the Markham Theatre Advisory Board. The rationale behind the proposal is to remove the ambiguity between a formal Board Governance Structure and a Board Structure.

Proposed Composition

Reduce the number of members serving on the board to a working group of 11 voting members, plus three ex-officio members as follows:

Voting Members (11 voting members)

· 2 - Members of Markham Town Council

· 1 - Representative from the York Region District School Board

· 8 - Community Members

The Board will also have various ex-officio members. They will have a vote when in attendance at meetings.

Ex-officio (3 voting members)

· Mayor of Markham

· Deputy Mayor of Markham

· School Board Trustee

It should be noted that this is not intended to reduce the number of community members actively involved with the Markham Theatre. Community members will continue to be engaged in the work of the various sub-committees of the Markham Theatre Advisory Board. These members of the community may or may not also sit on the Advisory Board.

Proposed Committee Functions

It is recommended that many of the functions of the current Theatre Board will continue with the proposed new Theatre Advisory Board. The Advisory Board will continue to utilize the Town guidelines and frame of reference for the operations of the board. The major functions will include:

· Assist in developing the annual business plan for the Theatre in conjunction with staff. The Business Plan will be developed according to the Town’s Corporate Business Plan guidelines and integrated with the Town’s Corporate Business Plan.

· Review the annual operating and capital budgets as developed by staff and integrated with the Town’s corporate budget.

· Monitoring the business results and key performance indicators.

· Actively assist staff in raising funds for the Theatre through sponsorship, fundraising and special events.

· Assist staff at increasing awareness and the profile of the Markham Theatre in the community.

· Advise, make recommendations and update Markham Town Council on any matters with regards to the Markham Theatre and its operations.

· The Board, through the Chair, will provide input into the hiring and performance review of the Theatre Manager to the Director responsible for the Theatre.

These functions have been detailed in the attached Appendix ‘A’.

Guidelines for Town Committees

The following elements are the guidelines for Town committees as set out by the Clerks Department. Slight modifications are proposed to meet the operational needs of the Theatre as detailed in Appendix A.

· Selection and appointment of Advisory Board members

· Board member length of service

· Liability of Advisory Board members

· Frequency of meetings

· Selection of Board Chair and Vice-Chair

· Role of the Advisory Board

· Role of the Board Member

· Role of Town staff

· Reports and recommendations from the Advisory Board

· Amendments to Board Terms of Reference and Mandate

· Sub-committee responsibilities

· Accountability

· Review period

Timing of the Proposed Changes

It is recommended that the changes would be implemented over the course of 2005, 2006 and into 2007 as follows:

· The name of the Theatre Board would immediately change to be the “Markham Theatre Advisory Board”

· As current Theatre Board members retire, they would not be replaced until the membership of the board came in line with the recommended nine members.

· Vacancies on the Advisory Board would then be filled as per the existing system through the Town of Markham Clerks Department application and subsequent interview with past / current Chair of the Board and the members of Town Council serving on the Theatre Advisory Board.

Implementation of the proposed revisions of the Theatre Board will provide greater clarity and emphasis on fundraising and sponsorship efforts.

Community involvement will still be high through the service of community members on the various sub-committees of the Theatre Advisory Board. These are not appointed positions, but utilize community members as volunteers for specific projects. This system of utilizing community volunteers will also provide an excellent method for developing and identifying potential new members for the Markham Theatre Advisory Board.

The current members of the Theatre Advisory Board have been asked for input into revisions to the Terms of Reference, and those suggestions are reflected in the revised Terms of Reference.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

No financial implications are to be considered in this report.

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

Markham Theatre staff

Markham Theatre Advisory Board

Town of Markham Clerks Office

ATTACHMENTS:

Appendix A - Proposed New Markham Theatre Advisory Board Terms of Reference

Appendix B - Current 2005 Theatre Board Membership List

Appendix C - Current Terms of Reference for Markham Theatre Advisory Board

Barbara M. Roth, Director, Recreation and Culture Services

Jim Sales, Commissioner of Community and Fire Services

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