THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL (CAC)
Established in May of 2007, the Community Advisory Council (CAC) is an elected body of seven residents from Area A, B, C, and D of the University Endowment Lands (UEL), independent of the UEL administration, which promotes and develop the interests and welfare of UEL residents to make the UEL a better place to live. It consists entirely of members elected by the four Areas in the UEL in proportion to their population. The Council is independent of UEL administration and operates under a service agreement with the province.
The CAC can only advise the UEL administration manager: it cannot require that any action be taken. Council is the only body that is charged with communicating the needs and concerns of UEL residents to the Administration, and it endeavours to do so fairly and equitably. This position of limited influence can, and does, lead to friction with both the administration manager and his superiors in Victoria.
The CAC meets monthly via an online platform. Regular monthly meetings are open to the public.
The CAC is incorporated under the BC Societuies Act and its operations are funded under a contract for services between the society and the province. This allows the community space to be maintained, (Suite 300 in University MarketPlace), public events such as Town Hall meetings and community parties to be held, and publication of the community newspaper, UEL Connections.
ROLE OF THE CAC
Keywords from the CAC’s Constitution regarding the purposes of the CAC:
advise the Manager on issues regarding quality of life and tax impacts
advise the Manager on land use planning
advise the Manager on any other items regarding cost, quality or capacity of community services
review the annual budget and property tax requisition
fund community advisory bodies (including the ADP)
receive and use funds from the Ministry (the CAC’s own budget)
promote and develop the interests and welfare of UEL residents
assist, develop and foster community planning
The phrase “promote and develop the interests and welfare of UEL residents” includes any relevant action intended to make the UEL a better place to live.
COMMUNITY REPRESENTATION
The Community Advisory Council is made up of:
2 members from Area A
1 member from Area B
1 member from Area C
3 members from Area D
Council members serve voluntarily and are elected to a four-year term on the same schedule as municipal elections in BC. All UEL residents who meet the qualifications as electors under the BC Elections Act are eligible to vote.
Council meets monthly and the often-lively meetings are open to the public.
Citizen participation is encouraged: any UEL resident may request permission to formally present his/her ideas or concerns to Council, ideally about a week in advance of a particular meeting in order to be included on the Agenda.