“Now that the new Societies Act (2016) has provided the Partnership with clarity regarding our identify, it allows the Board of Directors to focus on the Partnership mission,” stated Derek Richmond, Partnership Secretary
Note to Reader:
Reproduced below from the 2018 Annual Report is the Report from the Secretary (Derek Richmond). To download a copy of the 2018 Annual Report, click here.
With a career of over four decades as a professional engineer and Chartered Water & Environmental Manager, Derek Richmond was an early pioneer in urban modelling and planning in the UK and in Canada. He has worked across a broad spectrum of water resource and infrastructure projects, issues and applications, and has applied those skills by working in both the private and public sector.
Derek’s career in government includes working for several local governments in British Columbia as manager of engineering.
The New Societies Act and Collaboration
In November 2016, the new Societies Act came into effect in British Columbia. A significant outcome of the new Act is the resulting clarity regarding distinctively different classifications of societies. This clarity helped the Partnership define its identity.
Each pre-existing society was asked whether it wished to designate itself as a “member-funded society” by including a statement to that effect in its constitution. A member-funded society is a society that is funded primarily by its members to carry on activities for the benefit of its members.
A society cannot be a member-funded society if it receives government funding above a certain threshold. Hence, the choice was made for us. The Partnership is not and cannot be a member-funded society. The Partnership is funded exclusively by government and provides services to government.
The Partnership’s Constitution is now aligned with the new Societies Act. This means that only Directors are ‘Members’ and have voting rights. Any and all categories of membership that may be established by Board policy would be non-voting.
Now that the Societies Act has provided the Partnership with clarity regarding our identify, it allows the Board of Directors to focus on the Partnership mission – which is to serve as the hub for a ‘convening for action’ network in the local government setting, and to deliver the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia through partnerships and collaboration.
2018 was our first full year operating under the BC Societies new act.
Changes in municipal staffing and recent municipal elections have enabled us to renew and strengthen old relationships and also develop new relationships. This re-enforces the importance of collaboration between all parties and the opportunity to review and embrace the foundation of our past success through collaboration, cooperation and coordination.
We look forward to another year of working with all of our partners and building on those common foundations that allow us to grow and benefit from the synergy generated from a vibrant and collaborative environment.