Governance, Communications and Human Resources Committee (GCHRC) - September 9, 2020

Public Agenda

19:30 - Chair’s Remarks

Action: Information

Pre-read: Verbal Report

Presenter: Chair

9:35 - Consent agenda

Approval of Public Meeting Agenda

Action: GCHRC Approval

Pre-read: Agenda

Presenter: Chair

Chair’s Poll re: Conflict of Interest

Action: Declaration

Pre-read: Agenda and Conflict of Interest Policy

Presenter: Chair

Confirmation of the Public Meeting Minutes of: 

• January 28, 2020

• July 21, 2020

Action: GCHRC Approval

Pre-read: Minutes

Presenter: Chair

Compliance Report, 2019 (Annual)

Action: Information

Pre-read: GCHRC:2020-23

Presenter: President & Chief Executive Officer

TCHC-Related City Council Decision Tracker & Action Items

Action: GCHRC & Board Information

Pre-read: GCHRC:2020-24

Presenter: Director, Strategic Planning & Stakeholder Relations

9:40 - Business Arising from the Public Meeting Minutes and Action Items Update

Action: Information

Pre-read: Action Item List

Presenter: Chair

9:45 - Diversity and Inclusion Update

Action: Information

Pre-read: GCHRC:2020-26

Presenter: Vice President, Human Resources

10:00 - 2020 Review Schedule for Policies Requiring Board Approval

Action: Information

Pre-read: GCHRC:2020-27

Presenter: Director, Strategic Planning & Stakeholder Relations

10:05 - Update on Subsidiaries (Annual)

Action: Information

Pre-read: GCHRC:2020-28

Presenter: General Counsel & Corporate Secretary

TERMINATION
 

Public Meeting Minutes

The Governance, Communications and Human Resources Committee (“GCHRC”) of Toronto Community Housing Corporation (“TCHC”) held a public meeting on September 9, 2020, via teleconference commencing at 9:36 a.m.

Committee Director in Attendance:

Brian Smith, Chair

John Campbell

Debbie Douglas(via teleconference)

Councillor Paula Fletcher 

Ubah Farah (joined meeting at 9:59)

Committee Directors Absent:

N/A

Management Present:

Sheila Penny, Chief Operating Officer

Darragh Meagher, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Grant Coffey, Interim General Manager, Seniors Housing Unit

Paula Knight, Vice President, Strategic Planning & Communications

Lindsay Viets, Director, Strategic Planning & Stakeholder Relations 

Vishnu Ramsamujh, (Interim) Director, Labour Relations 

Amzad Khan, Director, Learning & Organizational Development (Acting)

Minh Toan, Business Planner, Stakeholder Relations

Ceilidh Wilson, Assistant Corporate Secretary

A quorum being present, the Chair called the meeting to order and Ms. Wilson served as recording secretary.

Item 1 - Chair's Remarks

The Chair welcomed everyone to the Committee meeting, noted the Acknowledgement of the Land and notified everyone that due to the need for social distancing to limit the spread of COVID-19, TCHC’s holding this meeting virtually.

The Chair noted, further, the special procedures applicable to the meeting, given its virtual nature, related to deputations requests to speak and voting on agenda items. 

The Chair reiterated the Board’s support for TCHC’s frontline staff working under challenging conditions to provide essential services and needed supports to tenants, as well as employees who continue to work from home.

Item 2A - Approval of Public Meeting Agenda

Motion Carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Mr. Campbell, seconded by Ms. Douglas and carried, the GCHRC approved the public meeting agenda.

Item 2B - Declaration of Conflict of Interest

The Chair requested members of the GCHRC to indicate any agenda item in which they had a conflict of interest, together with the nature of the interest. None were declared.

Item 2C - Confirmation of Public Meeting Minutes of January 28, 2020 and July 21, 2020

Motion Carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Mr. Campbell, seconded by Ms. Douglas and carried, the GCHRC received the above-captioned minutes.

Item 2D - Compliance Report, 2019 (Annual), GCHRC:2020-23

Motion Carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Mr. Campbell, seconded by Ms. Douglas and carried, the GCHRC resolved to receive the information in report GCHRC:2020-23 for its information.

Item 2E - TCHC-Related City Council Decision Tracker & Action Items, GCHRC:2020-24

The above-captioned report was circulated to the GCHRC members prior to the meeting. The Director, Strategic Planning & Stakeholder Relations was available to answer questions of the Committee.

Highlights of the discussion include:

• The Committee expressed its appreciation for the tracker, but expressed the view that it needed to be refined to capture the big issues of which the Board needed to take note as not all items at City Council and its Committees impact TCHC in the same manner.
• It is good practice that where City Council directs that information be sent to TCHC’s CEO, that this also be shared with the Board. 
• Action item: The Director, Strategic Planning & Stakeholder Relations, to work with the Chair, GCHRC and Councillor Fletcher to refine the City Council decision tracker and report back to the GCHRC with the updated format. 

Motion Carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Fletcher, seconded by Mr. Campbell and carried, the GCHRC resolved to receive the information in report GCHRC:2020-24 for its information.

Item 3 - Business Arising from the Public Meeting Minutes and Action Items Update

The above-captioned report was circulated to the GCHRC members prior to the meeting. The General Counsel & Corporate Secretary was available to answer questions of the Committee.

Highlights of the discussion include:

• Two briefing notes were included in response to items on the public action items list – one regarding the external counsel roster and its expiry date, and one regarding engaging the City Clerk’s office to ensure TCHC is meeting its open meeting requirements. 
• Action item: The General Counsel & Corporate Secretary to report back to the GCHRC after speaking with the City Clerk’s office re: whether TCHC is meeting the City’s open meeting requirements and the efficacy of TCHC’s agenda design. 
• The external counsel roster has expired, but is still used as a reference point when needing to engage external counsel. The Legal department is about to begin the public procurement process to refresh the roster.
• Action item: The General Counsel & Corporate Secretary to provide the GCHRC with the list of firms included on the now expired external counsel roster.
• Action item: In Q1 2021, the General Counsel & Corporate Secretary to report to the GCHRC on progress in procuring an external counsel roster. 
• It was noted that, if the Board wanted to retain external counsel, it would be outside the external counsel roster process.

Motion Carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Councillor Fletcher, seconded by Ms. Douglas and carried, the GCHRC resolved to receive the information arising from the public meeting minutes and GCHRC action items for its information.

Item 4 - Diversity and Inclusion Update, GCHRC:2020-26

The above-captioned report was circulated to the GCHRC members prior to the meeting. The (Interim) Director, Labour Relations and the Director, Learning & Organizational Development (Acting) were available to answer questions of the Committee.  

Highlights of the discussion include:

• In the fall of 2019, TCHC engaged KPMG to review and improve TCHC’s HR talent processes. 
• In February 2020, people managers were surveyed to better understand the demographics of this group.
• A survey is planned for the Community Safety Unit (“CSU”) and diversity questions will be included in the 2021 staff engagement survey.
• The Senior Consultant for Diversity and Inclusion (the “Consultant”) will be starting in the next few weeks to oversee HR’s diversity and inclusion programs, and will report to the Director of Talent Management.
• For future surveys, the Committee asked that whiteness be included as a demographic category. 
• The last employee engagement survey had a 67% response rate, with the help of TCHC’s labour partners.
• The former Office of Diversity and Human Rights had a manager and two consultants, and was situated in the Legal Services Division. Their mandate was to address issues outside of the scope of the Human Resources Division, including issues raised by tenants.
• The Solutions team will assume some of the responsibilities of the former Office of Diversity and Human Rights, and front-line staff are being trained in the Human Rights Code.
• Action item: Management to report back to the GCHRC with the results of the 2020 management survey and how it compares to the 2018 results. The report back to provide information regarding demographic results broken down through the various management levels of the corporation.
• Action item: Management to report back to the GCHRC re: whether it was a decision of management or the Board to disband the Office of Diversity and Human Rights.
• The Committee expressed concern that the Board did not have oversight of the creation of the Consultant position.
• Action item: The CEO to report back at the next GCHRC meeting with an overview the plan to address diversity, inclusion and Anti-Black racism across the organization, and bring the final corporate strategy to the GCHRC and the Board of Directors for approval in Q1 2021.

Motion Carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Mr. Smith, seconded by Ms. Douglas and carried, the GCHRC resolved to receive the information in report GCHRC:2020-26 for its information and requested that management report back to the Board on an overall strategy to address diversity and inclusion and confronting anti-Black racism across the organization, reporting back to the Committee on the draft scope of that work at the next meeting of the GCHRC.

Item 5 - 2020 Review Schedule for Policies Requiring Board Approval, GCHRC:2020-27

The above-captioned report was circulated to the GCHRC members prior to the meeting. The Director, Strategic Planning & Stakeholder Relations was available to answer questions of the Committee.

Highlights of the discussion include:

• Resulting from the development of the corporate strategy to address diversity, inclusion and racism, policies will need to be developed to operationalize aspects of the strategy.
• This report normally comes to the GCHRC earlier in the year, but was delayed as a result of COVID-19. 

Motion Carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Douglas, seconded by Ms. Farah and carried, the GCHRC resolved to receive the information in report GCHRC:2020-27 for its information.

Item 6 - Update on Subsidiaries (Annual), GCHRC:2020-28

The above-captioned report was circulated to the GCHRC members prior to the meeting. The General Counsel & Corporate Secretary was available to answer questions of the Committee.

Highlights of the discussion include:

• Management are exploring a number of options for Regent Park Energy Inc. (“RPEI”) and will adopt the option that is in the best interests of TCHC.
• Toronto Community Housing Enterprises Inc. (“TCHEI”) does not have an existence outside of RPEI. Any plan to address RPEI would include TCHEI.
• Action item: Management to provide the GCHRC with the complete list of TCHC’s subsidiaries, including the nature of the subsidiaries, status of the subsidiaries’ work, and any recommendations to wind down the subsidiaries.

Motion Carried

ON MOTION DULY MADE by Ms. Douglas, seconded by Councillor Fletcher and carried, GCHRC resolved to receive the information in report GCHRC:2020-28 for its information. 

TERMINATION

GCHRC resolved to terminate the public meeting at 11:21 a.m.