Maketu-Te Puke Community Forum

Role

• To develop relationships in community to enable Council to achieve local solutions to local problems, and promote positive change and sustainability for strong, healthy and safe communities.
• To provide an effective mechanism for feedback to Council on local and community issues and strategic issues relating to the Ward.
• To promote liaison between the relevant community boards, ratepayers associations and community organisations to improve the wellbeing of residents in the Ward.
• To promote and advocate for the co-ordination of community services and agencies for the well-being of the community.
• To provide information and encourage submissions to the Annual Plan and Long Term Plan by groups outside a Community Board area within the Ward.
• To consider and report to the Community Committee priority matters emerging from Community Forums.

Scope

The Convenor and Assistant Convenor are to jointly determine the frequency, format, venue and timing of the forum, subject to the following guidelines:

• A minimum of 20 working days notice to the Governance Manager, to enable resourcing by staff, venue booking, light catering and advertising to be organised.
• Agenda items to be set and provided to the Governance Manager a minimum of 10 working days to enable the agenda to be circulated. This will be a one pager with a list of topics and relevant speakers (as provided by the convenors).
• A maximum meeting duration of 2 hours.
• A maximum of six Community Forums per quarter across the District, to be agreed between the convenors as to allocation to each ward.
• Staff will support the Community Forums by capturing the names/contact details of those in attendance, organising light refreshments and taking high level notes of the discussions on flip charts (or similar).
• Community forums will not be minuted.
• Standing orders do not apply to Community Forums and Convenors have the flexibility to determine the forum approach to suit the agenda.

Responsibilities of the Convenor/Assistant Convenor include:

• To promote upcoming Forums through their community networks and call for agenda items.
• To determine agenda items and notify the Governance Manager in accordance with the guidelines outlined above.

To prepare a report to each quarterly Community Committee meeting, including:

• The dates and locations of any Community Forums held during the period since the last Community Committee meeting.
• Recommended priority matters that they wish the Community Committee to consider for action.
• An indication of the practicable options to progress the matter (with the support of staff advice as required).
• Closing the loop with those who raised matters at Community Forums, including whether the matter has been identified as a priority, and if so, what the Community Committee has recommended in relation to these matters (with the support of staff as required).

Delegations

• To report and make recommendations to the Community Committee on local and community priority matters relating to the Ward.
• To consider and report on all matters referred by Council and the Community Committee.
• To promote, encourage and facilitate community participation in issues relating to Council planning processes and engagement opportunities.
• To communicate with community organisations and interest groups within the Ward.