Vacancy on the Toronto Public Library Board
The Nominating Committee recommends that Ronald Chopowick be appointed to the Toronto Public Library
Board to fill a vacancy, for a term of office expiring November 30, 2000, and/or until his successor is appointed.
The Nominating Committee submits the following report (May 27, 1999) from the City Clerk:
Purpose:
The purpose of this report is to provide background information relating to the procedure for appointing one person to the
Toronto Public Library Board to fill a vacancy due to a resignation.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
None.
Recommendation:
That the Nominating Committee review the applications on file for appointment to the Toronto Public Library Board which
met the criteria for appointment in order to select a replacement to fill a vacancy on the Board.
Council Reference/Background History:
City Council, at its meeting on April 28 and May 1, 1998, adopted and amended Clause No. 2 of Report No. 4A of the
Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team and in so doing, in part, reappointed the
current Council and citizen members of the Interim Board and gave authority to the Nominating Committee to begin the
process to select two additional citizen members.
City Council, at its meeting on October 1 and 2, 1998, in adopting and amending Clause No. 1 of Report No. 6 of the
Nominating Committee, appointed an additional two citizen members to the Toronto Public Library Board and reappointed
three nominees from the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic School Board. A complete listing of the
current membership of the Toronto Public Library Board is attached as Appendix I to this report.
A vacancy has now occurred on the Toronto Public Library Board. Bob McLean, who was appointed to the Library Board
by virtue of being a member of the Interim Board, has advised that he no longer resides in the City of Toronto and,
pursuant to the Public Libraries Act, 1990 which states that citizen members of the Library Board must legally "be a
resident of the City of Toronto", he no longer qualifies for continuing appointment to the Board.
Item (17) of Appendix I of the joint report (February 10, 1999) from the City Clerk and the Chief Administrative Officer,
titled "Policies for Citizen Appointments to City of Toronto Agencies, Boards and Commissions and External
Special-Purpose Bodies Processes through the Nominating Committee and the Corporate Services Committee", which was
adopted, as amended, by Council on April 13, 14 and 15, 1999, states:
"(17)Council may from time to time, in accordance with the applicable law, make appointments of successor members or
to fill vacancies. When filling vacancies, applications on file from qualified applicants made during the current term of
Council shall be referred to."
Therefore, the Nominating Committee has authority to select a replacement for Mr. McLean from the applications
previously received without going through the normal outreach selection process. Attached to this report is:
Appendix IIa listing of applicants and copies of applications who were shortlisted by the Nominating Committee but not
selected for appointment; and
Appendix IIIa listing of applicants and copies of applications who were not shortlisted by the Nominating Committee but
met the criteria for appointment.
Attached as Appendix IV is the Council approved selection criteria which the Nominating Committee applied during its
selection process for appointment to the Board.
Conclusion:
This report recommends that the Nominating Committee give consideration to reviewing the applications presently on file
in order to select a replacement to fill a vacancy which has arisen on the Toronto Public Library Board.
Contact Name:
Christine Archibald, Administrator, Nominating Committee - 392-7443
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The Nominating Committee reports, for the information of Council, also having had before it the following material and
copies thereof are on file in the office of the City Clerk:
-Appendix II - an in-camera listing of applicants and copies of applications who were shortlisted by the Nominating
Committee but not selected for appointment, appended to the foregoing report (May 27, 1999) from the City Clerk;
-Appendix III - an in-camera listing of applicants and copies of applications who were not shortlisted by the Nominating
Committee but met the criteria for appointment; and
-Appendix IV - Council approved selection criteria for the Toronto Public Library Board.
Respectfully submitted,
Councillor Sandra Bussin,
Chair
Toronto, July 9, 1999
Christine Archibald
Tel. (416) 392-7039
