Our Neighbours

1. Guiding Principles

1.1. URRI is committed to building and maintaining a good relationship with neighbours and other stakeholders that may be affected by its operations

1.2. The Community is entitled to be informed about URR activities that could have an impact on the community, to voice their opinions to URRI management on these activities and to be informed of URRI’s proposed actions on the issues raised

1.3. All members of the PLC are committed to finding solutions to issues that are in the interest of both the community and company

1.4. The timely availability of information to inform discussions, disseminate information and provide feedback

1.5. Build and maintain, mutual trust and understanding

1.6. Respect and courtesy by all members of the PLC shown to each other, URRI and the community

2. Mandate

2.1. To have open and honest dialogue between interested members of the community and Universal Resource Recovery Inc. on the company’s operations that could have an impact on the community.

2.2. To provide a forum for dissemination, consultation, review and exchange of information regarding the operation of URRI’s Rusholme Road site in Welland Ontario, including environmental monitoring, maintenance, complaint resolution, and new approvals or amendments to existing approvals related to the URRI operations.

2.3. To act exclusively in an advisory role to the URRI management and not exercise any supervisory, regulatory or approval functions in connection with the facility or its operation.

3. Meetings

3.1. Frequency – The PLC shall not meet less than 4 times per year (once every quarter). Additional meetings may occur at the discretion of the PLC.

3.2. Meeting facilitation – A 3rd Party facilitator will provide the facilitation services for the PLC with the support of administrative staff from URRI. The facilitator will serve the interests of all members of the PLC without bias.

3.3. Role of facilitator –

3.3.1. coordinate arrangements for meetings with designated URRI staff and PLC Chair

3.3.2. prepare agendas for all meetings of the PLC in discussion with PLC Chair and URRI

3.3.3. facilitate all meetings of the PLC

3.3.4. maintain contact with PLC members to ensure that the process is meeting expectations

3.3.5. ensure that summaries of meetings are kept, approved by members and distributed on time

3.3.6. prepare reports under the direction of the PLC

3.3.7. work with the PLC to maintain a work plan which identifies priorities and indicates a focus and timeline for each issue proposed for discussion

3.4. Meeting Procedures

3.4.1. Decision-making – Decisions made by the PLC shall be undertaken by consensus. Consensus building is a process of seeking unanimous agreement. It involves a good-faith effort to meet the interests of all stakeholders. Consensus has been reached when PLC members agree they can live with whatever is proposed after every effort has been made to meet the interest of all stakeholder parties. Consensus shall be determined by the facilitator

3.4.2. Quorum shall consist of fifty percent of the membership plus one.

3.4.2.1. In the absence of a quorum, meetings may be held and motions may be put forward and seconded for the record. However, all motions must be fully discussed by a quorum of the committee at a subsequent meeting in order to be accepted as official and acted on by the committee.

3.4.3. All agendas, minutes and letters from the committee, and all public communications on behalf of the committee, must be approved by the committee.

3.4.4. PLC meetings shall be open to the public with notification posted on URRI’s website. For confidentiality reasons some portions of the PLC meetings may be held in camera.

3.4.5. Part of each PLC meeting shall be made available to hear questions, comments or presentations by members of the public pertaining to the operation of the facility. Written or formal presentations by delegations must be submitted to the Chair at least one (1) week in advance of the scheduled meeting date. Delegates to the meeting will be limited to a maximum ten (10) minute presentation.

3.4.6. Documentation received or produced by the committee shall be made accessible to the public through the URRI website unless deemed confidential. Those individuals or organizations, who submit documentation to the PLC, assume all responsibility for the accuracy of the data and information and assume all responsibility for all privacy or confidentiality requirements.

3.4.7. An annual report shall be prepared for the PLC activities. The report will include activities, lessons learned, etc., from the calendar year.

3.4.8. The Terms of Reference of the PLC will be reviewed on an annual basis. Any changes will be supplied to the District Manager of the MOE for final approval before changes are made.

4. Membership

4.1. Composition

• City of Welland Councillor, Ward 6 (ex officio)
• City of Welland Councillor, Ward 5 (ex officio)
• Four (4) residents within 1000 metre radius of facility
• Three (3) members at large
• Two (2) representatives from URRI

4.2. Terms of Office

4.2.1. Ex office members shall remain members of the PLC for the duration of their terms as Councillors for Wards 5 and 6 in the City of Welland

4.2.2. Appointed members shall hold terms of one-year to a maximum of three years (or three terms)

4.2.3. URRI representatives do not have maximum terms

4.3. PLC Chair and Vice-Chair – The PLC shall select from its non-ex officio members a Chair and Vice Chair. The Chair and Vice Chair will serve for one-year terms to a maximum of three terms. Prior to renewal, the PLC shall discuss and review the renewal.

4.3.1. The role of the Chair (and Vice Chair when the Chair is not available) is to liaise with the facilitator in accordance with 3.3.2 and to Chair PLC meetings

4.4. Founding Committee – A Committee made up of the Ex Officio members of the PLC shall form a founding Committee to choose the first PLC members.

4.4.1. Expressions of interest in joining the PLC for neighbours within a 1000-metre radius of the URRI facility will be available at Neighbour Liaison meeting held, January 17, 2011.

4.4.2. Once the Terms of Reference have been approved by the District Manager of the MOE, a notice will be sent to all residents within the 1000-metre radius of the facility and an advertisement will be placed in the local media and posted on URRI’s website seeking PLC members.

5. Confidentiality - URRI may designate specific information as confidential. In doing so, the company will also specify the audiences who can receive the information and the period for which the information will be confidential. PLC Members will then decide whether they will receive the information or withdraw. If they elect to stay, they will respect the confidential designation for the specified period. Meetings will be in camera for the presentation and discussion of confidential information.

5.1. PLC Members will sign a confidentiality agreement for these occasions

6. Administrative Costs – PLC membership is voluntary; members will not be reimbursed for time spent working on CAC activities. URRI shall provide for the reasonable administrative costs of operating the PLC including the cost of meeting place rental, refreshments, advertisement of meetings, clerical and facilitation services. If the PLC wishes to incur any exceptional one-time costs from time to time the PLC shall submit such cost proposals to URRI.

General Comments