Contact Teresa Scroope, Deputy Clerk at deputyclerk@calvintownship.ca for information related to the Municipality's policies, bylaws, completed studies, and in the absence of Donna Maitland, the CAO/Clerk Treasurer, Teresa is available to help assist you with other senior administrative matters.
The Clerk is an appointed officer of the Corporation, responsible for duties assigned by Council under municipal policy and Provincial Statutes and Regulations, including The Municipal Act, The Municipal Elections Act, The Vital Statistics Act, Municipal Freedom of Information and Privacy Protection, The Line Fences Act, Assessment Act and the Planning Act.
The Clerk is responsible for preparing Council agendas, minutes, by-laws, resolutions and reports for Council, and is also designated to record and maintain all resolutions, decisions and other proceedings of Council. The Clerk, in accordance with the Municipal Act, is the Official By-Law and Record Keeper for the Corporation and is responsible for maintaining an index of all the By-Laws of the Municipality and for maintaining all records in accordance with the Records Retention By-Law of the Corporation.
The Clerk’s department is responsible for organizing the Municipal Election every four years, in accordance with the Municipal Elections Act, and ensures that proper conduct is maintained throughout the election process.
The Clerk co-ordinates the day to day operations of the Municipality, working closely with other department heads to ensure the smooth operation of the Corporation.
The following is a short list of the roles and responsibilities of the Clerk-Administration Department:
The Clerk, because of his/her appointed office, is considered as Commissioner of Oaths and Commissions for legal documents such as affidavits, oaths and statutory declarations. Contact the Municipal Office between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, to arrange a time for signing your documents.
The Township does not have a Notary Public and cannot notarize documents. A list of Notary Publics and lawyers who can notarize documents can be found in the local phone directory.
To have a document commissioned you must visit the Municipal Office in person. The request for Commissioner of Oaths service must be made by the same individual taking the oath and signing the document. That individual must present an original piece of government photo identification (i.e. a valid driver's licence, a valid passport). (DO NOT SIGN THE DOCUMENTS PRIOR). Fees for this service are as follows:
Anyone wishing to obtain municipal documents, records or other information may make a formal request to access information in accordance with the Act. In some cases you may be restricted access to certain documents to protect individual privacy, the public interest or as prescribed by the Act.
There are fees for this service which are prescribed by the Act. If you would like additional information please contact the Clerk’s Department.
Anyone wishing to make a presentation before council must submit a request in writing, to the Clerk, on or before noon on the Thursday prior to the Regular Council Meeting. Unless posted otherwise, council meetings are held at 6:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. The Clerk will advise about whether the reason for the request can be dealt with by Administration or should be presented by the requestor before Council.
Delegations
A Community Delegation is any citizen or group of citizens who represent a recognized community group or organization who wish to make a presentation at a meeting to address existing or proposed municipal policies or initiatives.
Only one spokesperson per organization shall speak on behalf of the group at the delegation to Council.
Petitions
It is the fundamental right of citizens to petition their elected representatives. Petitions are one way citizens can bring grievances or concerns to the attention of Council.
A petition is basically a written request signed by citizens that asks Councillors to do something within their power about a particular issue. Instead of many people writing individual letters to Council, it is much easier to create a petition. One letter is written and people sign it to demonstrate their support.
Even when a petition does not result in an immediate or obvious resolution, petitions are important because they communicate your opinion to Members of Council and other citizens. Petitions are one way to bring public concerns to the Council agenda.
Who can petition Council?
Anyone who is at least 18 years old and a resident of Calvin, including businesses and unincorporated associations where the majority of the membership consists of residents, may petition Council.
Should you petition?
Petitioning Council may not always be your first course of action. Some matters which are operational or administrative are sometimes best resolved by appropriate staff with the Municipality of Calvin.
What are the rules governing petitions?
At a minimum, a petition must contain the following:
The subject of any petition must be a matter over which Council has the power to act. In other words, the topic must be a municipal responsibility rather than a Provincial or Federal matter.
Is a Petition a "public" document?
Personal information on a petition form is collected under the authority of section 28(2) of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for the purpose of informing Council of the views of the petition. Personal information will not be used by the Municipality for any purpose other than to ensure it meets Council's requirements for a valid petition and to ensure contact with the spokesperson or principal petitioner. Once submitted to Council, the first page of the petition will appear on the Municipality’s website at calvintownship.ca
While adhering to all other Provincial and Federal Legislation, the Council of the Corporation of the Municipality of Calvin is the primary decision making body for the Municipality. Council relies on the information and reports provided by the staff and the recommendations of its Committees in order to make the decisions which affect the community and safety and quality of life of its residents.