Town seeks Newmarket community leaders for its committees

Information session online tonight for openings across nine advisory bodies for the town

Newmarkettoday.ca
Jan. 25, 2023
Joseph Quigley

The Town of Newmarket invites you to be a leader in the community as a member of one of its nine committees and boards.

The town is recruiting for its committees for this current political term until 2026 and is holding an information session tonight, Jan. 24, at 6:30 p.m. The session will have accessibility advisory committee chair Steve Foglia along with staff provide information about each committee accepting applications and their various mandates.

“Resident engagement and participation play an important role in shaping our town’s policies and future direction,” the town said in an FAQ. “By serving on a committee or board, you participate directly in a process that makes recommendations on important issues to town council.”

The municipality is recruiting for positions across nine committees, with the deadline extended to Feb. 10.

The live session will be held electronically via Zoom and Facebook. It will highlight the committees open for applications and how to apply.

The committee openings include:

• Accessibility Advisory Committee (8 residents) -- Encourages and facilitates accessibility for all persons with disabilities
• Appeal Committee (5 residents) -- A quasi-judicial body that judges appeals for town bylaws
• Audit Committee (three residents) -- Assists council with maintaining financial integrity
• Committee of Adjustment (five residents and one alternate) -- Makes decisions on minor variances and land severances
• Elman W. Campbell Museum Board (four residents) -- Develop policies and programs for the museum
• Heritage Newmarket Advisory Committee (six residents) -- Assists the town in documenting and preserving historical structures and artifacts
• Newmarket Economic Development Advisory Committee (14 residents, local business owners, or key stakeholders) -- Provides advice to attract, expand and retain business
• Newmarket Public Library Board (four residents) -- Governs the affairs of the library and its operations.
• Property Standards Committee (five residents) - A quasi-judicial body that hears appeals on orders of the town’s property standards officer.

The applications will be chosen by a selection committee, this term made up of Mayor John Taylor and councillors Trevor Morrison and Bob Kwapis. The town said applicants will be contacted for the next steps if required. There have been 31 applications sent in as of Jan. 24.

How often each committee meets varies depending on terms of reference and the amount of business. The town’s committees are still meeting hybrid, meaning you can attend via Zoom or in person. You can find a committee’s specific terms of reference on the municipal committee website.

You can join the meeting tonight through a link on the town website. The meeting will also be broadcast on Facebook Live. 

“The town promotes and encourages citizen engagement and committees play an important role in assisting to shape our community,” the municipality said.