Yahoo Finance City of Fredericton makes all-male appointments to Preservation Review Board
Fredericton city council has appointed four men to the Preservation Review Board, but they asked staff to reopen applications in hopes a more diverse group of citizens can fill remaining seats.
The board administers the preservation bylaw and gives guidance to builders on design standards in heritage areas. Places city hall staff advertised the openings included the city's website, social media, and the hard-copy version of the local newspaper.
More than half the seats on the 11-member board are empty, but council wants staff to keep trying.
"They'll have to be very diligent in their search because there is a requirement that there be diversity in that," said Coun. Kate Rogers.
Rogers spoke out almost two years ago — when an all-male membership was proposed for a land development committee. Her concerns led to an ad hoc committee on gender diversity, which Rogers was part of, and to training for committee chairs.
"There's a staff directive given, but also we approved the recommendations that came out of the ad hoc committee on gender diversity — it was very instructive," Rogers said.
Those recommendations approved more than a year ago include:
A review of current practices for requesting applications for appointments to committees.
A review the current appointment process and propose changes based on best practices.
"In [staff's] search, they have to make sure that they are bringing forward diversity," Rogers said.
Kathi Zwicker, who co-chairs the group Women + in Politics Fredericton, said not enough is being done to attract diverse applicants at the committee level.
"Nobody knows about any of this," said Zwicker, whose group aims to get more women into municipal government.
"Unless you're incensed about something that has happened or something has rubbed you the wrong way … you would never think, 'I should get on that board.'"
She said the city could do more to publicize positions and encourage people to get involved.
"There are women and people of diverse genders and people of diverse ethnicity who have come before those boards, and it would be so nice if a hand was reached out and said, 'You know, you should consider coming on. You've got a lot of expertise. You've got something to give us. You're a different voice,' And we need that in the mix to be representative of all the community."
Juan Estepa, the city's manager of heritage and design, said diversity is hard to achieve on certain boards, because the criteria can be stringent.
"Everybody on that board has got to meet a certain criteria or have a certain skill set or expertise to be on the board," he said.
For the Preservation Review Board, according to the Heritage Act, a council member must sit on the board, along with a member appointed by a local heritage organization, and someone who is a property owner and interested in heritage preservation, and a person with professional experience in architecture or restoration, among other things.
Estepa said it may be time for the city to broaden its efforts to attract candidates for committee positions.
Three of the members appointed Monday night are returning, Doug Wright, Josh Nowlan, and Steve Watson — one, Jeremy Mouat, is new.
Eric Megarity is the councillor who sits on the board. A councillor will be appointed after the municipal election.
