The Orillia Police Services Board is getting a makeover.
The province’s Ministry of the Solicitor General announced last month the development of its OPP Detachment Board Framework. It requires municipalities served by OPP to come up with a recommended composition of their police services boards and submit it to the ministry for approval.
During Friday’s meeting, the Orillia board recommended going from five to 10 members to better represent the area policed by Orillia OPP.
Currently, the board includes Mayor Steve Clarke as chair, Coun. Rob Kloostra, Margaret Speranza (appointed by council) as well as Megan Bondy and Darylene Forrest (both appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council).
The ministry’s new requirements state boards will have to include a minimum of five members and include 20 per cent community and 20 per cent provincial appointees.
The recommendation passed Friday calls for one elected representative and one community representative from each municipality policed by Orillia OPP (Orillia, Oro-Medonte, Ramara and Severn), as well as two provincial representatives appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
“This option achieves more than the required 20 per cent community representation with 40 per cent community appointees, while also maintaining 20 per cent provincial representation,” staff wrote in a report.
The province’s new approach includes a requirement that members be objective and not advance any agenda for a particular municipality. That shouldn’t be a problem, said Clarke.
“The idea is that you’re open-minded and objective,” he said. “If one of the townships has an issue that Orillia might not be faced with, I still believe I would be able to understand the issue and lend support.”
It might end up saving Orillia OPP Insp. Veronica Eaton some time, too. As detachment commander, she has presented her reports to municipalities separately, as well as attending Orillia Police Services Board meetings regularly.
The staff report listed some of the expected benefits of the new board composition.
“There are greater opportunities within this appropriately sized board to attract broader skill sets, as well as draw on the work-life experiences and diversity of the membership,” it stated. “Workload can be shared between the members to maximize member engagement. Additionally, it is beneficial that this option permits the municipalities to equally share member remuneration and other operational board costs.”
CAOs of local municipalities have had discussions about the changes, and all three townships “intend on presenting this option to their respective councils for consideration,” staff wrote.
“Should the city and townships ratify this option, the (board’s) executive director will submit the joint proposal for the board’s composition, administration and infrastructure to the ministry before the June 7, 2021 deadline.”
Clarke expects the board’s recommendation will go to city council for a decision “in short order.”
