Council Committee Mandates 2021

Musqueamized committee structure

Leadership is working hard to Musqueamize our governance model and better reflect our cultural values. After the 2020 election, the new Musqueam Council met in January 2021 to begin strategic planning for their four-year terms in office.

Following this, council approved five committee mandates, along with mandate letters to each of the ten councillors. Council also approved terms of reference for the chief councillor, full-time councillor and council committees.

This post summarizes the council committee mandate letters for 2021, which were sent to committee chairs. Copies of the letters are available in the last section of this post, “Committee-Specific Mandates”. To read a summary of councillor mandates, click here.

We are currently seeking 15 band members to join the committees. Applications are open until Friday, April 30, 2021. Learn more here.

Council Committee Mandate Letters

As we move towards self-governance and implementing a Musqueam Constitution, it is more important than ever for us to be united in building a stronger, more inclusive and more resilient nation.

Through the work to Musqueamize our governance, council proposed and approved a five-committee structure and associated mandates:

1. Community Services (CS)
2. Finance and Administration (F&A)
3. Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA)
4. Lands, Capital and Housing (LCH)
5. Self-Government Transition (SGT)

This is an adjustment to the committee structure that will improve functionality, while being more accountable to community and outcomes focused. All departments within Musqueam Administration are organized into one of the first four committees (CS, F&A, IGA and LCH).

The Musqueam Council Committees provide advice to council, and are delegated responsibilities based on what administrative departments they oversee. Each committee is made up of three councillors (including one committee chair) and community members. Much of the hard work of council is performed through these five committees that report to full council monthly for final decisions. 

Two of the biggest Musqueamized influences to the committee structure are with the roles of chair and coordinator. Within the context of the long house, committee chairs are considered the family head, and committee coordinators are considered floor managers. Soon, each committee will be assigned a floor manager to support coordinating meetings and liaising with department managers.

Council will continue to meet twice a month, with alternating weeks are set aside for committee meetings. Once a quarter, committee chairs will meet with Chief Sparrow to discuss successes, as well as obstacles faced in achieving objectives. This will include a discussion of organizational issues as well as financial resourcing issues. 

In a year, council will review the progress made by committees and determine deliverables for the coming year. Below are the high-level mandate areas of each committee.

Committee-Specific Mandates

Community Services Committee

The Community Services Committee is responsible for overseeing most of the fundamental services required by members. Without the well-being of our members, our ambition to create a healthy and sustainable community cannot be met. 

Mandate Letter

Committee Chair: Tammy Harkey
Committee Members: Gordon Grant, Richard Sparrow, community members

Mandate Areas

Finance and Administration Committee

Sound financial oversight is a foundation of good governance, and will be key to our success today and into the future as we move to self-government.

Committee Chair: Howard Grant
Committee Members: Jordan Point, community members

Mandate Letter

Mandate Areas

Intergovernmental Affairs Committee

The self-government agreement and approval of a Musqueam Constitution are the foundations of creating our own government and ensuring the sustainable prosperity of our members.  Intergovernmental relations will be key to our success. 

Committee Chair: Rosalind Campbell
Committee Members: Michele Point, community members

Mandate Letter

Mandate Areas

Lands, Capital and Housing Committee

Achieving the priorities established in the Community Comprehensive Plan is key to building a socially and economically sustainable community. This is the foundation for healthy citizens. Housing continues to be one of the key priorities identified by members

Committee Chair: Allyson Fraser
Committee Members: Nolan Charles, Brett Sparrow, community members

Mandate Letter

Mandate Areas

Self-Government Transition Committee

The Musqueam Self-Government Agreement and a Musqueam Constitution are the foundations of creating our own government and ensuring the sustainable prosperity of our members. The Self-Government Transition Committee was created this year to support planning for self-governance.

Committee Chair: Jordan Point
Committee Members: Allyson Fraser, Nolan Charles, community members

Mandate Letter

Mandate Areas

• Guiding work across five identified areas to prepare the Musqueam Public Service for Self-Government:
  • Legal
  • Core Institutions
  • Administrative Structures
  • Intergovernmental Strategy
  • Communications and Consultation
• Guiding work on in-depth administrative review including a Gap Analysis.
• Equipping organization and people to move out from under the Indian Act.
• Overseeing development plans for staff.
• Overseeing communications material and identifying spokespeople.