Musqueamizing our governance model
Leadership is working hard to Musqueamize our governance model to better reflect our cultural values. After the 2020 chief and council election, the new Musqueam Council met in January 2021 to begin strategic planning for their four-year terms in office.
Following this, council approved mandates for each of the ten councillors and five committees. Council also approved terms of reference for the chief councillor, full-time councillor and council committees.
This post summarizes the councillor mandate letters. Full mandate letters and terms of reference will be shared soon. To read a summary of the committee mandates, click here.
Councillor Mandate Letters
Each letter to council contained the same information, with the addition of specific mandate areas based on individual experience and areas of interest.
The Comprehensive Community Plan is the starting point for providing direction to council. All of council’s work is guided by our community vision, and councillors are committed to govern in a positive, open and collaborative way.
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.
Musqueam Council is committed to increasing openness, effectiveness and transparency in how they work with each other, the administration and membership. The mandate letters state council will deliver real results and effective government to members. This includes:
- tracking and publicly reporting on the progress of our commitments;
- assessing the effectiveness of our work; aligning our resources with priorities; and
- adapting to events as they unfold, in order to get the results members rightly demand of us especially in improving the delivery of our services.
Working closely with the CAO and senior staff, councillors will ensure administration work is done professionally and that decisions are made in the interests of community. Council will continue to meet twice a month, with alternating weeks set aside for committee meetings.
COVID-19 has created changes for council, the biggest change being in communication. Council is aware of the need to keep members more informed and increase opportunities for community feedback. This year, we are excited to introduce new ways for all members to engage directly with councillors.
The term of this council will see a tremendous opportunity for Musqueam to build on the gains of past administrations, towards all the opportunities and challenges of self-government.
Individual Councillor Mandates
| Councillor | Committee & Specific Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Allyson Fraser | – Chair of the Lands, Capital and Housing Committee – Transition Committee – Specific responsibility to develop a policy for the Housing Authority and refresh the Housing and Equalization Policies. |
| Brett Sparrow | – Lands, Capital and Housing Committee – Specific responsibility for land use planning and the Musqueam Land Code. |
| Gordan Grant | – Community Services Committee – Specific responsibility to negotiate and develop policy for scholarships with Universities, and coordinating education through the Local Education Agreement with the Vancouver School Board. |
| Howard Grant | – Chair of the Finance and Administration Committee |
| Jordan Point | – Chair of the Transition Committee – Finance and Administration Committee – Specific responsibility for updating the financial by-law. |
| Michele Point | – Intergovernmental Affairs Committee – Specific responsibility for fisheries and community distribution. |
| Nolan Charles | – Transition Committee – Lands, Capital and Housing Committee – Specific responsibility for the capital policy and infrastructure. |
| Richard Sparrow | – Community Services Committee – Specific responsibility to work with the Language Department to develop a strategic two-year plan, policy and programming to enhance language revitalization. |
| Rosalind Campbell | – Chair of the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee |
| Tammy Harkey | – Chair of the Community Services Committee – Specific priority is the Elders facility. |
