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CBD Advisory
Board
26 March 2014
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Terms of Reference for the Auckland City
Centre Advisory Board CBD Advisory Board
These terms of reference set out the roles, responsibilities and
working arrangements for the Auckland City
Centre Advisory Board CBD Advisory Board.
The board is a key advisory body, with no decision-making or
autonomous budgetary authority.
The board will assist the Auckland Council, specifically the
governing body and the Waitemata Local Board and Auckland council controlled
organisations to oversee and be a key advisor to the Auckland Council on
achieving the vision and strategic outcomes of Auckland’s CBD Into the future
(2004-2014), the City Centre Masterplan, the expenditure of the CBD targeted
rate, and CBD issues.
The CBD Into the
Future strategy’s vision is to “grow and consolidate the CBD’s international
reputation as one of the world’s most vibrant and dynamic business and cultural
centres.” The strategic outcome areas supporting the vision are that Auckland’s CBD will be:
· recognised as one of the world’s premier business locations
· a high quality living urban environment
· the most popular destination for Aucklanders and visitors to the
region
· a world class centre for education research and development
· a place that feels like the heart and expresses the soul of
Auckland.
Role of the Auckland City Centre Advisory
Board CBD Advisory Board
The
role of the board is to:
1. Assist the council to plan, shape and drive the
delivery of the CBD strategies
2. Report stakeholder views and promote dialogue on
initiatives within the CBD portfolio
3. Act as sounding board for the CBD transformation
projects team on new and existing initiatives
4. Champion and provide leadership for the CBD
strategies in the wider community
5. Maintain an overview of the strategies and
action plans to assist with integration of the initiatives
6. Monitor the progress of the CBD strategies and
action plans
7. Provide guidance into the portfolio of projects funded
via the CBD targeted rate
8. Establish and safeguard the pursuit of
excellence of all projects in the CBD portfolio from inception to delivery.
9. Provide input to or lead other CBD stakeholder
reference groups on specific projects or relevant council strategies impacting
the CBD
11. Review or recommend any proposed changes to the targeted rate
policy
12. Review and provide feedback on the CBD streetscapes and open
space upgrade projects :
a) concept designs
b) developed designs
c) endorse the concept designs prior to going out for public
consultation
13. Provide a sounding board to the designers for the CBD
streetscapes and open space upgrade projects
14. Ensure a cohesive approach to the designs of the CBD
streetscapes and open space upgrade projects
Note: These roles are also shared by the governing body
and the Waitemata Local Board and Auckland council controlled organisations as
appropriate and are not solely the function of the CBD Advisory Board.
These
roles and responsibilities are detailed below, with an explanation of what they
will mean in practice.
(a) Assist the council to plan, shape and drive the delivery of
the CBD strategies
This means the board
members, individually and collectively, will:
· come prepared to meetings having pre-read
and considered agendas and associated documents
· participate actively in the CBD
strategy review process led by Auckland Council
· bring their own ideas for programme
and process improvements to the board’s attention
· feed ideas and comments into the
council’s decision making processes (eg making recommendations to the council
committees through officer reports).
(b) Report stakeholder views and promote dialogue on initiatives
within the CBD portfolio
This means the board members, individually
and collectively will:
· actively engage their networks in
dialogue about the CBD strategies and programmes
· bring ideas and comments from their
networks/stakeholders back to board meetings for discussion
· ensure their networks get feedback on
any ideas and issues they raise.
(c) Act as a sounding board for the CBD transformation projects
team on new and existing initiatives
This means the board
members, individually and collectively, will:
· receive and discuss reports and
presentations from CBD transformation projects team members
· provide comment and feedback on ideas
and initiatives brought to it by CBD transformation projects team members
· actively debate issues but seek,
ultimately, to develop a single board view on ideas
and initiatives brought to it
· request that reviews of projects be
conducted for consideration by Council.
(d) Champion and provide leadership for the CBD strategies in the
wider community
This means the board
members, individually and collectively, will:
· invest time and effort into understanding
the CBD strategies and its programme of action
· seek opportunities to speak
positively about the strategies to external audiences
· provide media comment if requested by
the CBD Advisory Auckland City Centre Advisory
Board Chair.
(e) Maintain an overview of the strategies and action plans to
assist with integration of the initiatives
This means the board members, individually
and collectively, will:
· familiarise themselves with the three
year action plans (with a particular focus on the current year’s programme of
action/works)
· actively monitor opportunities for
CBD transformation projects to leverage from/add value to each other
· identify potential conflicts between
individual projects and/or project objectives
· debate and provide a view on trade
offs between projects and between the objectives of individual projects
· identify and bring to the board’s
attention potential conflicts and synergies between external (non-council) and
the council initiatives, perspectives and programmes.
(f) Monitor the progress of the CBD portfolio
This means the board
members, individually and collectively, will:
· receive and actively consider
progress reports presented to the board
· identify any concerns about progress
· recommend ways of addressing any progress
delays or issues (e.g. reviewing the scope, quantity, timing, of and/or
resources for delivering on projects).
(g) Provide guidance into the portfolio of projects funded via
the CBD targeted rate
This means the board
members, individually and collectively, will:
· familiarise themselves with the CBD
targeted rates supported programme of works
· discuss the programme with their
networks
· invest time and effort into
understanding how and to what extent individual projects contribute to
achieving the CBD vision and outcomes
· develop an informed view about
project priorities.
(h) Establish
and safeguard the pursuit of excellence of all projects in the CBD portfolio
from inception to delivery.
This means the board members, individually
and collectively, will:
· demonstrate in themselves and their
board input and participation their personal best expression of the quality of
excellence and its pursuit
· work collectively to ensure that all
board goals seek nothing less than the best expression possible of excellence
in all inputs into the CBD strategies and action plans
· determine that nothing short of
excellence will suffice for Auckland city and the success of its CBD
strategies and action plans.
(i) Provide input to or lead other CBD stakeholder reference
groups on specific projects or relevant council strategies impacting the CBD.
This means the board
members, individually and collectively, will:
· make known to the board their areas
of expertise and interest
· actively participate in specially
convened CBD stakeholder reference groups
· convene and lead specially convened
CBD stakeholder reference groups
· actively participate in consultation
on council policies and strategies which have implications for the CBD.
(j) Review or recommend any proposed changes to the CBD targeted
rate policy
This means the board
members individually and collectively, will:
· receive and discuss information
relating to CBD targeted rate policy annually
· make recommendations into council’s
decision making processes relating to any targeted rate policy change.
(k) To review and provide feedback on the
CBD streetscapes and open space upgrade projects :
i. concept designs
ii. developed designs
iii. endorse the concept designs prior to going out for public
consultation
This means the board
members, individually and collectively, will:
· provide comment and feedback on the
designs presented to them by members of the CBD project team
· feed ideas and comments prior to
council’s decision making processes.
(l) Provide a sounding board to the designers on CBD streetscapes and
open space upgrade projects
This
means the board, individually and collectively, will
· provide constructive feedback to
designers in advance of formal consultation processes.
(m) Ensure a cohesive approach to the designs of
the CBD streetscapes and open space upgrade projects
This means the board
members, individually and collectively, will
· consider the designs from the
perspective of their respective sectors, seeking to provide comments on the
designs from a holistic perspective.
CBD Advisory Board Auckland City Centre Advisory Board
composition
The
board will be comprised key CBD stakeholders, made up
of up to 17 members comprising 12 14
external stakeholders and 5 (3) political
representatives.
The
board members need to demonstrate the following qualities:
· passion and commitment to the development of the CBD
· credibility and prominence in the community
· an understanding of the CBD and support for Auckland Council’s
vision
· commitment to playing an active role on the board
· an ability to effectively chair meetings.
The
board will be sought from the following sectors or groups [This keeps the Board at 17, although some
members suggest the board is too big/cumbersome. Given the lateral thinking
and input expected, the chair and deputy consider the board can be larger than
a governance board and 17 members is manageable.]:
· corporate sector including financial and other professional
services (2) (recommending a representative from the
Banking/Financial sector)
· tourism/travel (1) (SkyCity representative
to be confirmed)
· retail, including mainstreet representative organisations (2)
· education (The University of Auckland, Auckland University of
Technology) (2)
· Ngati Whatua (1)
· residents (representative from the CBD Residents Advisory Group) (2)
· Property Council (1)
· arts and cultural sector (1)
· Auckland Councillors (4) (2)
· Waitamata Local board (1)
Selection of Members
Selection of members will
follow the “Policy for selection and replacement of Auckland City Centre Advisory Board CBD Advisory Board members” process.
Each representative should
be a person that is able to demonstrate the qualities outlined above.
Chair and Deputy Chair
The roles of Chair and
Deputy Chair will be elected from the non elected/political representatives by
the full board at the first board meeting and thereafter annually at a meeting
determined by the Auckland City Centre Advisory
Board CBD Advisory Board.
[Consider adding a maximum of [3] year for these roles so that we get fresh
approaches.]
Term of office/resignations/replacements
· Board
members may represent their stakeholder group/sector for an unlimited number of
terms, as membership is sought through representative organisations.
· Term of a
Board Member is for a period of three years. [Consider how these renewals
should be dealt with. Should we have resignation on a rotating basis so that
we get fresh blood?]
· A new Chair
and Deputy Chair will be elected annually. [Exclude political
representatives from this vote?]
· The Chair and Deputy
Chair can be re-elected each year of their term as Board members [Consider
adding a maximum of [3] year for these roles so that we get fresh approaches.]
· The Policy
for Selection and Replacement of Auckland City
Centre Advisory Board CBD Advisory Board Members records how the board will receive and process resignations
and subsequent replacements of members, as well as the selection of new the
board members.
Meetings
Meeting schedule/timing/nature
· Members will
meet on an (unpaid) voluntary basis.
· The board
meets monthly, with the flexibility to meet as and when required on specific
issues/projects.
· Meetings
will generally be of 2 hours duration.
· The Auckland
Council City Transformation Unit Democracy advisor will
arrange the venue and catering for each meeting.
· Meeting
agendas will focus on progressing the strategies for the CBD as a whole and on
specific projects.
· Subgroups
may be formed to expedite progress, with one board member taking responsibility
for championing particular projects or outcome area.
· Quorum = The quorum at a meeting consists of half of the
members if the number of members [(including vacancies)] is even; or a majority
of members if the number of members [(including vacancies)] is odd.
Reporting
The Auckland Council is constituted under a co-governance model. Matters that the Auckland City Centre Advisory Board CBD Advisory Board will be considering
which fall under the governing body's decision making responsibilities need to
be reported to the governing body. Similarly, matters that the Auckland City Centre Advisory Board CBD Advisory Board will be considering,
which fall under the Waitemata Local Board's decision making responsibilities
need to be reported to the Waitemata Local Board. In addition matters that
relate to the road reserve, need to be discussed and agreed with Auckland Transport.
The Auckland City Centre Advisory Board CBD Advisory Board will make
recommendations as it considers appropriate, and as requested, to the governing
body and the Waitemata Local Board, and/or Auckland council controlled
organisations, depending on which of these bodies has decision making authority
over the matter(s) being reported on.
Twice annual report by board chair to the Governing
Committee.
Agenda distribution/minutes
· Agendas for
the board meetings will be distributed 5(3) working days prior to the meeting date.
· A proposed
agenda item may be submitted by a board member to the board secretary (Democracy Advisor, Democracy Services) (City
Transformation unit) up to [15] days prior
to a board meeting. If the item is not accepted by the chair and/or deputy
chair, the member will be advised of the reason prior to the agenda being
circulated.
· Meeting
agendas will be set by the chair and/or the deputy chair in consultation with
the CBD Transformation Team Leader or City Transformation Portfolio Manager.
· Minutes of
the board meetings will be distributed to members and
public no later than 5 working days after the board meeting.
Staff support/servicing of board
· The CBD
Transformation Team Leader is responsible for the Auckland City Centre Advisory Board CBD Advisory Board.
· The Democracy Advisor, Democracy Services department City
Transformation Portfolio Co-ordinator will act as secretary and will be the
first point of contact for board meetings.
· The
secretary will be responsible for arranging board meetings, catering,
paperwork, reimbursements, council/board communications etc.
· The City
Transformation Portfolio Manager will provide a monthly portfolio report to the
board.
· An officer from the City Centre Integration Team will, where
practicable, attend board meetings and report.
Resourcing of the board
· $8000 per
annum will be allocated to the administration of board meetings – catering,
printing, reimbursements etc.
· Members will
not be remunerated for participation on the board, however reasonable
travel/parking costs may be reimbursed.
Protocols for members/conflicts of interest
· The board
will work under a code of conduct for their members and meetings (covering
issues such as conflicts of interest, pecuniary interests, qualified privilege
etc).
· To assist
the board members in the above matter, each board member will provide a list of
the organisations they represent and their role within each of these
organisations.
Code of conduct
The code of conduct includes protocols
around conflicts of interest, respecting confidentiality and ensuring ones
actions and comments do not bring the council into disrepute.
With this in mind, board members are to:
· declare any
conflicts of interest to the board and then abstain from discussions and
decisions where there is a conflict of interest.
(N.B a conflict of interest is likely to
occur if a board member has a pecuniary or social interest in a matter being
discussed by the board. In other words, the member may stand to benefit from a
decision made by the board about that particular matter. An example could be a
discussion about a piece of work that the member may propose to carry out as a
consultant or contractor. A conflict may also be perceived rather than actual.
Such conflicts need to be considered and a decision made as to whether they
should be treated as actual).
· raise their
concerns with the board, where there is a lack of clarity around whether there
is a real conflict of interest or where such a conflict could be perceived, and
seek a decision on whether or not the issue is to be considered as if a
conflict of interest exists.
· keep
confidential any matters brought to it in confidence.
(N.B as a public body council must
always justify why something is to be heard in confidence. It is unlikely;
therefore, that many confidential matters will be brought to the board)
· ensure that
their behaviour or actions do not bring the council into disrepute.
(N.B. This does not prevent members from
legitimately challenging council policy decisions.)
Recommendation processes
Board recommendations are to be:
· based on robust information and debate
ensuring that the different perspectives of the members are considered
· developed
and presented as the board’s view.
(N.B. This does not mean there can be no
difference of opinion. What it does mean is that members are expected to
support, publicly and not undermine the board’s collective agreed view, even if
their personal view differs from the collective view.
This does not prevent members from
legitimately expressing their individual or representative organisations view
on council policy decisions.)
Review of Board
The board will be reviewed
on delivery of the Auckland (Spatial) Plan, and thereafter, every three years.
