Hastings District Youth Council – Terms of Reference
2021
Purpose of the Hastings District Youth Council
The Hastings District Council recognises the positive
contribution young people make to a strong, diverse, resilient and inclusive
community. The Hastings District Youth Council is a vehicle in which young
people can be actively engaged in local government planning and decision making
relating to their city.
The Youth Council is responsible for creating dynamic
engagement opportunities for young people to participate in, be heard and be
involved in community activities and government decisions.
The Youth Council’s objective is to canvas youth
opinions on a range of topics, to then advocate and implement changes on behalf
of the young people in Hastings.
Membership
The Youth Council is made up of 18 young people who
live, work, and/or attend school in the Hastings District. Members are
aged between 15 and 23 years of age.
Youth Council membership is for a period of one year
running from February to November. Applications can be made to the HDC Officer
supporting to continue as a Youth Council member for consecutive years.
Recruitment and selection of Youth Council members
Recruitment for Youth Council members runs January-
February each year through local high schools, youth services and community
groups, the Hastings District Council website and various social media
accounts.
All applications must be submitted via the Hastings
District Council’s website. A shortlist of candidates is created, with
those applicants asked to attend a 10 minute interview or provide a two minute
video. The selection panel is made up of HDC Youth Development staff, and a
Councillor.
Commitments of Youth Council members
Youth Council members are required to
-
Attend a Youth Council Training
and Planning event, held at the beginning of the year (following appointment of
the Youth Council members).
-
Elect members to take on
leadership positions such as (but not limited to) the Chair and Deputy
Chairperson of the Youth Council for that year.
-
Contribute to the Youth Council
Annual Plan – which details the focus of the group and their activities
for the year.
-
Attend all official Youth Council
meetings – held fortnightly on Wednesdays at Hastings District
Council’s offices, with every second meeting being an informal meeting.
-
Submit monthly reports detailing
their actions as a Youth Council member at the formal Youth Council meetings.
-
Attend other informal meetings
throughout the year to work on upcoming projects – members will be given
no less than two weeks’ notice of informal meetings.
-
Attend Hastings District Council
meetings for presentations as and when required – members will be given
no less than 4 weeks’ notice of these presentations.
-
Attend and support all youth,
community and Council events determined in the Annual Plan and by the Youth
Council as a whole.
Meetings
Youth Council meetings are held at the Hastings
District Council from 3.45 to 5.30pm.
The HDC Officer will act as Council Liaison and a
Hastings District Councillor will attend all formal Youth Council meetings.
Youth Council roles and responsibilities
Chairperson:
-
The Chairperson chairs each
meeting. They ensure everyone contributes to the discussion and that the
views of young people from the whole district are considered when decisions
need to be made.
-
Keeps meetings, projects, planning
and submission processes on track.
-
Delegates responsibilities to
members and committees’, follows up and ensure the work gets done.
-
Acts as the contact person for the
Youth Council for the public, the media, and Council.
-
Represents the Youth Council at
public forums as and when required.
-
Works with the elected Events
& Communications subcommittee to manage the official Youth Council social
media accounts.
-
Takes action if members repeatedly
do not attend meetings or deliver on actions they have agreed to undertake.
Deputy Chairperson:
-
Works closely with, and provides
support to the Chairperson.
-
Will step in for the Chairperson
to run Youth Council meetings as and when required.
-
Will represent the Youth Council
at public forums as required.
-
Works with elected Youth Council
members to manage the official Youth Council social media accounts.
-
There are two deputy chairs due to
the voting being tied.
Youth Council members’ responsibilities:
-
Attend meetings appropriately prepared,
including submission of formal monthly reports detailing engagements and
activities as a Youth Council member.
-
Actively consult with your
schools, community groups, and young people to find out what they need, want or
are concerned about - bring this information to Youth Council meetings.
-
Support and promote Youth Council
activities, events and campaigns and those endorsed by Youth Council.
-
Participate in training
opportunities as and when they arise.
-
Take up leadership and teamwork
opportunities to ensure Youth Council activities, events and campaigns are
delivered successfully and to deadline.
Meeting Process
Formal meetings are used for:
-
Planning and scheduling Youth
Council projects.
-
Discussing issues that are
affecting young people in the Hastings Community.
-
Presentations and consultancy from
external parties.
-
Decision making about Youth
Council participation and endorsement of community activities.
-
Decision making about Youth
Council events or projects.
Decision making
Decision making will follow Council’s basic
standard order process:
-
Someone will need to move
(propose) a recommendation – which then becomes a motion;
-
Someone will second the Motion,
then;
-
All members will vote on the
Motion. If the majority of members agree with the decision it is then carried
(confirmed) and recorded as a decision.
-
If members cannot agree on a decision,
the Chairperson will have the deciding vote.
Quorum
A minimum of half of the Youth Council members must
attend the meeting for it to proceed, 9 people make a quorum.
Agendas and minutes
A final agenda (approved by the Chairperson) is to be
sent out to all members and Council representatives at least two working days
prior to the meeting.
Official agendas and minutes will be produced by the
Hastings Council’s Democracy and Governance support team:
-
Agendas and any attachments will
be emailed to members a week before meetings.
-
Minutes will be emailed to members
no more than a week after official meetings.
Apologies
If a member is unable to attend an official Youth
Council meeting they must tender their apologies to the Chairperson, the HDC
Officer or the Democracy and Governance Advisor looking after the Youth Council,
no later than a week before the meeting.
It is expected the member will still submit their
monthly report, detailing their activities related to Youth Council.
If two formal meetings are missed consecutively
without tendering apologies, this will result in the member forfeiting their
place on the Youth Council.
I acknowledge that I have read and understand the
Hastings District Youth Council 2021 Terms of Reference and will adhere to
everything set out in the document.
Name:
Signed:
Dated:
Hastings
District Council: Hastings Youth Council Meeting
Te Rārangi Take
Report to Hastings District Youth Council
|
Nā:
From:
|
Tyler Brown, Youth Connector
Support
Pip Dixon, Employer
Connector
|
|
Te Take:
Subject:
|
Youth Council Monthly
Report - August 2021
|
1.0 Purpose and summary - Te Kaupapa Me Te Whakarāpopototanga
Background
1.1 The Hastings District
Council recognises the positive contribution young people make to a strong,
diverse, resilient and inclusive community. The Youth Council is a
vehicle in which young people can be actively engaged in local government
planning and decision making relating to their city.
1.2 The Youth Council is
responsible for creating dynamic engagement opportunities for young people to
participate in, be heard and be involved in community activities and government
decisions.
1.3 The Youth
Council’s objective is to canvass youth opinions on a range of topics, to
then advocate and implement changes on behalf of the young people in Hastings.
1.4 The Youth Council is
made up of 18 young people who live, work, and/or attend school in the Hastings
District. Members are aged between 15 and 23 years of age.
1.5 Youth Council
membership is for a period of one year running from February to November.
2.0 Youth Council Committee Feedback
2.1 The
purpose of this report is to report back to the Hastings District Youth Council
on:
The
following Youth Council Committees:
· Health
and Diversity Committee
· Sustainable
Communities Committee
· Environmental
Committee
· Events
and Communications Committee
The
Council Committees and Subcommittees on which there is a Youth Council
appointee/s
· Great
Communities Subcommittee
· District
Development Subcommittee
· Eco-District
Subcommittee
· Civic
and Administration Subcommittee
· Active
Transport Committee
2.2 Report by Youth
Council Chairman – Keelan Heesterman.
2.3 Overview report from
Councillor Wendy Schollum.
3.0 Presentations
3.1 Rachel Stuart –
Public Spaces Planning Manager
-
Flaxmere Skate Park update
3.2 Sandy Keen –
Accident Compensation Corporation (“ACC”)
Sandy has asked to address the meeting
to talk about a range of matters in her role as Regional Injury Prevention
Partner, HB/Manawatu ACC Operations – including injury statistics and
relevant data around injury claims.
Among the points that Sandy wants to
highlight to the meeting will be information about how ACC tries to reduce
youth risk-taking behaviours using:
Ø DRIVE and DRIVE community
toolkits
Ø Mates and Dates healthy
relationship programme in schools
Ø Warm up/cool down/concussion
involvement in Sportsmart.
And; to encourage the Youth Council
members to promote these types of programmes in the school and to the wider
youth in the community.
4.0 Discussion Points
4.1 Festival for The
Future - Report on attendance at this conference in Wellington (30/7 to 1/8) to
be given by Tyler Brown, Youth Connector Support.
4.2 Meeting with Napier
Youth Council – 5 July 2021
-Update from Keelan Heesterman on the
combined meeting with Napier City Council
4.3 Replacement for
Lenaine Merrylees-Clarke as a Youth Council appointee on the Great Communities
Subcommittee.
5.0 Recommendation Background
5.1 International
Advisory Group
There has been a vacancy for a
Youth Council member on the International Advisory Group for a while. It
recently met earlier in July 2021.
Louis Gaffaney is the Youth
Council member who has been put forward as the International Advisory Group and
this appointment needs to be formally recommended to the Council by the Youth
Council.
5.2 Rural Community
Board and Rural Halls Subcommittee
Council has approved a
recommendation that a Youth Council member be appointed in a non-voting
capacity to the Hastings District Rural Community Board (RCB). The Board
meets regularly. There is also a Rural Halls Subcommittee meeting twice a
year and this subcommittee includes the RCB members.
Finley Duncan is the Youth Council
member who has been put forward as to the Rural Community Board and this
appointment needs to be formally recommended to the Council by the Youth
Council.
|
6.0 Recommendations -
Ngā Tūtohunga
A) That the Hastings
Youth Council Meeting receive the report titled Youth Council Monthly Report
- August 2021 dated 4 August 2021.
B) That the
Youth Council nominate
………………………. to replace Lenaine
Merrylees-Clarke as a Youth Council appointee on the Council’s Great
Communities Subcommittee.
C) That the
Youth Council formally endorse Louis Gaffaney as the Youth Council appointee
to the International Advisory Group.
D) That the
Youth Council formally endorse Finley Duncan as the Youth Council appointee to
the Rural Community Board and Rural Halls Subcommittee.
|
Attachments:
There are no attachments for this report.
Te Hui o Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Heretaunga