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Community Council

Community Council

The Community Council is a group of Sufficient Velocity users whose job it is to represent the concerns of our users to the Staff. They provide input on policy, can see how the Staff handles reports and appeals, and form Tribunals in order to judge whether or not the Staff is acting appropriately.

  1. Responsibilities

    1. Representation

      Councillors can bring any complaint, comment, inquiry, or grievance, whether on their own behalf or on behalf of another user, to the attention of the Council and the Staff.

    2. Policy Oversight

      The Council may propose policy and require a Staff response as to whether it will be implemented, and if not, why not. Or they may ask for an official clarification of a policy or staff action, and will receive a response on the record.

    3. Report Oversight

      Councillors are able to view the staff reporting system, unless where specific reports have been marked as sensitive by the Directors. The Directors will only mark reports as sensitive if there is a significant privacy, legal, or technological concern that requires that report be handled solely by the executive staff.

    4. Councillors as Tribunal

      Councillors will, on occasion, be called upon to sit together in a Tribunal to review the actions of the Staff.

  2. Current Community Council

  3. Terms

    1. Term

      The Community Council serves for one-year terms, which begin September 1 of one year and end August 31 of the next.

    2. Term Limits

      There are no term limits for Councillors. However, only one-half of each Council is eligible for re-election each year. (ie. nine out of eighteen)

    3. Removal

      A Councillor may be removed for just cause (such as violating the Staff/Council Code of Conduct); may resign; or may be deemed to have resigned for failing to appear on the business of the Council.

  4. Elections

    1. Timing

      The elections period runs for one month, in August. This includes all nominations, campaigning, and polling.

    2. Nominations

      Nominations run for one week. During that time, any user is entitled to name up to two other users for election. The thirty-six users who have the most nominations and consent to having their names placed on the ballot will sit for election.

    3. Elections

      Voting runs for one week. During that time, any user in good standing may vote for as many candidates as they would like to see elected. At the end of that time, the eighteen candidates with the most votes will be elected for the new term beginning September 1.

    4. Exclusions

      No user may be a Staff member or Advocate and sit for election. Agreeing to have one's name placed on the ballot will constitute resignation.

    5. By-elections

      In the event that an elected member of the Council's place becomes vacant:

      • Within 90 days of an election or by-election: they will be replaced by the runner up;
      • More than 90 days after an election or by-election: a by-election will be held to elect a replacement;
      • Within 90 days of the start of the new election period: The spot will remain vacant until filled in the next scheduled election.

      By-elections will run the same manner detailed for the scheduled election, except that it will only fill vacancies in the Council's membership with that many people from the top of the election polling.

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