With the terms of the current council coming to an end next month, so to are the terms for those sitting on the town’s numerous boards and committees.
As such, the Town of Fort Frances is looking for interested residents to get involved in their community on a committee level and help shape the future for the next four years.
Clerk Glenn Treftlin had put a call out for qualified persons to join 16 of the town’s boards and committees last month.
But while the deadline to apply previously was set for Nov. 10, Treftlin said this morning that more applications are needed and will continue to be accepted for the next couple of weeks.
The new council, which will be sworn in Dec. 4, will make the appointments, added Treftlin, but this may not happen until late December or January (current committee members remain in their roles until their successors are appointed).
People are needed to serve on the following boards (the number of seats is noted in parentheses):
< *c>Operations
< *c>and Facilities
•Traffic Safety and Transportation Committee (five)
< *c>Community Services
•Accessibility Advisory Committee (five);
•Children’s Complex Advisory Committee (five);
•Community Activities Advisory Committee (six);
•Fort Frances Police Services Board (one);
•Fort Frances Public Library Board (five);
•Museum and Cultural Centre Advisory Committee (five);
•Recreation Advisory Committee (five);
•Sister Kennedy Centre board of management (five); and
•Theatre Management Advisory Committee (one)
< *c>Planning and
< *c>Development
•Business Improvement Area board of management (nine);
•Committee of Adjustment (five); and
•Planning Advisory Committee (two)
< *c>Council
•“Citizen of the Year” committee (two);
•Compliance Audit Committee (three); and
•Economic Development Advisory Committee (five).
All positions are for four-year terms (expiring Nov. 30, 2010), with the only exceptions being the Planning Advisory Committee, which remains a three-year term, and the Compliance Audit Committee, the terms on which expire upon completion of its mandate.
Treftlin said if anyone applies to be on more than one committee, they should rank them in order of preference.
The criteria to be on a board is the same as to be on council: you must be a resident of Fort Frances and at least 18 years old.
As well, to be on the BIA board, you must be a business property owner in the BIA area, a tenant obligated to pay tax with respect to land in the BIA area, or nominees of such tenants, individuals, or corporations so assessed.
For more information on the various committees, contact Treftlin at 274-5323 ext. 236 or the respective division managers—Doug Brown (Operations and Facilities), George Bell (Community Services) and Rick Hallam (Planning and Development).
You also can contact the people in charge of the various facilities (e.g., museum curator Pam Hawley, Children’s Complex superintendent Phyllis Kellar, and chief librarian Margaret Sedgwick).