ASH – ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
Terms of Reference
(Approved by ASH Board of Directors – 1 November 2022)

The ASH Environment Committee is a constituent committee of Action Sandy Hill. Its mandate is to promote a healthy and sustainable environment in our neighbourhood. Sandy Hill is a human-constructed environment comprised of complex relationships among living and non-living systems. Our approach to environmental issues must focus on meeting human needs while ensuring relationships between humans and the natural world are sustainable over the long term. Many issues transcend the borders of our community. Our approach to local issues will require awareness of this broader context, and we will strive for solutions to local problems that are consistent with addressing global concerns. The committee will, however, remain focused on pursuing locally-based measures to address issues in Sandy Hill.

The Environment Committee will:
1) Engage with, consult and inform members of the Sandy Hill community and any relevant community and non-governmental organizations, including other committees of ASH, in order to promote activities and measures that improve the environment of Sandy Hill, and
2) Advise the ASH board on methods by which ASH might influence the City of Ottawa’s plans, policies and bylaws in order to facilitate the goals of improving the environment of Sandy Hill and ensuring that the city plays a strong role in achieving global environmental goals. When asked by the ASH board, the Environment Committee can act on ASH’s behalf for this purpose, including by engaging with other Ottawa community associations.

The Environment Committee may establish priorities and produce guidelines about the role of ASH and the Environment Committee in relation to specific or general environmental issues, as well as procedures to be followed by the Environment Committee and other parties when engaging on an environmental file or issue. Membership of the Environment Committee is open to any resident of Sandy Hill. For practical purposes, its number will be limited to no more than 12 people. The Environment Committee will elect two Co-chairs, at least one of whom must be a member of the ASH Board. The Co-Chairs will be responsible for coordinating and documenting the activities of the Committee, organizing meetings and setting the agenda for meetings in collaboration with the other members of the Committee. The Committee will normally meet monthly from September through June. Quorum will consist of 50 per cent of the current membership and must include at least one of the Co-chairs.

The Environment Committee will report, and make recommendations to ASH on its activities at every Board of Directors meeting through its Co-chairs and will be accountable to the Board of Directors for its actions. The Co-chairs will submit a motion to the Board of Directors for a vote when a major or controversial decision or position must be taken in relation to an environmental issue or file.