Provincial Agricultural Service Board Conference: Resolutions Rules of Procedure

• Improved communication between the Manager of the ASB Grant Program from Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) and ASBs
• Opportunity to represent ASBs at ministerial and department meetings
• Increase policy development capacity of provincial ASBs
• Elevate significance of ASBs
• Work cooperatively with ARD and Alberta Association of Municipal Districts & Counties on agricultural issues

a. Shall consist of:
1. Five Regional Resolutions Committee Chairs elected at the Regional Conferences, who shall be voting members
2. Director or executive member of the Association of Municipal Districts and Counties (AAMD&C)
3. Manager of the ASB Grant Program representing Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD)
4. President of the Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen (AAAF)
5. First Vice President of the Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen (AAAF) as Secretary
6. Recording Secretary, appointed annually by ARD at the request of the Committe

b. The five Regional ASB representatives must be made up of locally appointed and/or elected Agricultural Service Board members. One representative and one alternate shall be elected at each Regional ASB Conference.

c. The Provincial ASB Committee shall elect a Chairman and Vice-Chairman from among the five Regional ASB representatives at their first meeting.


2. Responsibilities of Provincial ASB Committee Members

a. Chairman shall:

1. Chair all Committee meetings

b. Chair presentation of Resolutions at the Provincial Conference

c. Secretary shall:

1. Receive resolutions from Regional Conferences
2. Call Provincial ASB Committee meetings in conjunction with Chair
3. Provide copies of draft Provincial resolutions for committee members
4. Provide copies of approved Provincial Resolutions to each ASB
5. Record proceedings of Provincial ASB Committee meetings, and the presentation of Resolutions at the Provincial Conference. Minutes to be maintained by secretary.

d. The Committee Members shall:
1. Attend Provincial ASB Committee meetings
2. Assist in presentation of resolutions at the Provincial Conference
3. Act as a liaison between the Provincial ASB Committee and the individual ASBs within the region they represent

e. AAMD&C Representative shall:
1. Represent AAMD&C and serve as the liaison to the AAMD&C Executive
2. Provide background information
f. Manager, ASB Grant Program shall:
1. Represent ARD and serve as the liaison to the Minister
2. Provide background information

g. AAAF President shall:
1. Represent AAAF and serve as the liaison to the AAAF Executive
2. Provide background information

h. Recording Secretary shall:
1. Record and distribute minutes from meetings
2. Assist Chairman and Secretary with planning and arranging resources for meetings

a. The Provincial ASB Committee responsibilities include:
1. Request clarification for a resolution from the sponsoring ASB in terms of wording, intent, etc.
2. Amalgamation of two or more resolutions between jurisdictions if several resolutions are of similar topic and content after consultation and approval of the sponsoring municipalities.
3. Request withdrawal of a resolution if the resolution:
· Has no bearing whatsoever with the Agricultural industry
· Has been resolved prior to the resolution screening meeting, or
· Has been covered by another resolution
4. In the event of receipt by the Committee of two or more contradictory resolutions, the Committee will order the resolutions in such fashion that the contradictory resolutions are presented consecutively.
· If the first of the resolutions is passed, the contradicting resolutions(s) will be deemed defeated, and will not subsequently be brought to the floor
5. If the first resolution is defeated, the contradictory resolution(s) will be brought to the floor of the conference for consideration
6. Authority to request meetings with the Minister of ARD and other Ministries as required.
1. Agenda for the ministerial meeting would be related to responses to resolutions as well as agricultural emergent issues and concern
7. Encourage timely responses to the Provincial ASB Resolutions
8. Authority to request an annual meeting with Cabinet Policy Committee on Agriculture
9. Communication with the Manager, ASB Grant Program, ARD to:
· Encourage the exchange of information
· Provide direction and input on departmental initiatives
· Provide a representative view of ASBs
10. Resolutions passed at an ASB Provincial Conference will be advocated on for a period of five years from the date of approval. A list of expiring resolutions will be place in the report card annually.
· If an ASB wishes the resolution to remain active, the resolution must be brought forward for approval again at the next ASB Provincial Conference.
· Only resolutions from the previous two years will be reported on in the annual Report Card on the Resolutions

a. Resolutions Provincial in scope, and having been passed by simple majority at a Regional Conference shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Provincial ASB Committee by December 1 of each year. Each resolution submitted for consideration must be accompanied by background information consisting of the history of the issue and potential impacts for the sponsoring municipality and the province-wide impacts for municipalities.

b. After Regional resolutions are received by the Provincial ASB Committee Secretary, the Provincial ASB Committee will meet to review them.

c. Resolutions that are Regional in nature and that have been passed by a Regional Conference may be sent on to whoever they are directed to for reply. This shall be done by the Regional Resolutions Committee Secretaries. Copies of Regional resolutions shall be sent to the Provincial ASB Committee for information only.

d. The Provincial ASB Committee shall forward resolutions to each ASB by December 20 each year. Each ASB shall provide sufficient copies for their delegates and staff. Hard copies of Provincial resolutions will be included in the Provincial conference package available at registration.

e. A resolution received by the Provincial ASB Committee that was not presented and voted on at a Regional ASB Conference may be considered by the Committee as a potential Emergent Resolution. It may be recommended for acceptance as Emergent by the ASB Committee if the resolution is deemed an emergency issue of provincial significance regarding Agricultural Legislation or Agriculture Policy that has arisen since the Regional ASB Conferences, or if the sponsoring ASB can justify to the Committee why the resolution did not come to the floor of a Regional Conference.

f. If a resolution is denied Emergent status by the ASB Committee, the sponsoring ASB may appeal this ruling through the Chair to the floor of the Provincial ASB Conference Resolutions Session, where it may be reconsidered as Emergent at the pleasure of the Voting ASB Conference delegates. The vote for acceptance of an appealed Emergent Resolution must be carried by a 3/5 majority of voting ASB Conference delegates.

g. Sufficient copies of resolutions accepted as Emergent must be made available by the sponsoring ASB to all conference delegates.

A. Approved Provincial Resolutions
a. Resolutions approved for debate at the Provincial Conference by the Provincial ASB Committee shall be handled in numerical order as recommended by the committee unless 3/5 of the voting delegates on the convention floor agree to accept a resolution out of that numerical order.

b. Each resolution must have a Mover and a Seconder.

c. Only the "Therefore Be It Resolved" section will be read.

d. The Chairman shall call on the Mover and Seconder to speak to the resolution and then immediately call for anyone wishing to speak in opposition.


i. If there is no one to speak in opposition, the question shall be called
ii. If there are speakers in opposition, the Chairman shall at his discretion call for anyone other than the Mover or Seconder to speak to the resolution before the debate is closed

e. Anyone wishing to amend a resolution must then speak to the resolutions as written, or anyone wishing clarification must speak up. All amendments must have a Mover and Seconder.

f. Only one amendment will be accepted at a time and only one amendment to the amendment will be accepted on any resolution.

g. The Chairman has the discretion to request a written amendment.

h. The Mover and Seconder are allowed five minutes in total to speak to the resolution or amendment. The Seconder may waive his right to speak and the Mover would be allowed the full five minutes.

i. The Mover and Seconder have the right to close the debate and a maximum of two minutes each will be allowed for this.

j. All other speakers, for or against the resolution, are allowed a maximum of two minutes.

B. Emergent Resolutions
a. Resolutions approved as Emergent according to Section 4 shall be dealt with last.

b. Chair will advise delegates of the ASB Committee comments with respect to recommending the resolution as emergent.

c. Chair will ask delegates is they wish to accept the resolution for debate.

i. A mover and seconder are required to put a motion on the floor to accept the resolution for debate as emergent.
ii. Delegates have the right to speak to the motion regarding whether or not to accept the emergent resolution for debate.
iii. A mover has the right to close debate.
iv. Chair will call the question.
v. 3/5 majority required for acceptance of the resolution as emergent
d. If accepted as an emergent resolution, follow procedure for approved provincial resolutions (Section 5A)

a. Two municipal delegates at the conference from each municipality who shall display the voting credentials shall be recognized voters on any resolution.

b. An Agricultural Service Board member may have any person speak to a resolution by their request.

c. All Resolutions are passed or defeated by simple majority except where a change to legislation is asked for or acceptance of an emergent resolutions for debate, when a 3/5 majority is required.

a. Secretary of the Provincial ASB Committee shall submit resolutions to the Provincial ASB Committee members.

b. Secretary of the Provincial ASB Committee will submit resolutions to the Minister of ARD and distribute copies to appropriate organizations for response.

1. Responses will be compiled, returned to the Secretary for distribution to the Provincial ASB Committee and individual ASBs, and posted electronically.
c. Chairman of the Provincial ASB Committee shall:
1. Hold a committee meeting to review and discuss responses to resolutions.
2. Request a committee meeting with AAMD&C Resolutions Committee.
3. Request a committee meeting with the Cabinet Policy Committee on Agriculture to discuss or clarify resolution responses if deemed necessary.
4. Request a committee meeting with the Minister of ARD to discuss resolution responses if deemed necessary.
5. Direct the ASB Committee to prepare and circulate a Resolutions Report Card itemizing actions that have been undertaken by the Committee in response to resolutions passed at previous conference.

8. Roberts Rules of Order

a. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the procedure of the Resolutions Committee in all cases for which they are applicable, except if the rules are not consistent with the Resolutions Rules of Procedure. The Resolutions Rules of Procedure will take precedence. Attached are example excerpts from Roberts Rules of Order that apply directly to the Resolutions Process.

a. An amendment to these Rules of Procedure may be made by a simple motion from:
1. the Provincial ASB Committee, or
2. any voting delegate at the conference
b. Amendments must be accepted by a simple majority of all voting delegates at the Provincial A.S.B. Conference.

c. Amendments that are “Carried” will take effect at the next Provincial ASB Conference.

(Title)________________

WHEREAS

WHEREAS

WHEREAS

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED

THAT ALBERTA'S AGRICULTURAL SERVICE BOARD REQUEST

SPONSORED BY

MOVED BY

SECONDED BY

CARRIED DEFEATED
STATUS DEPARTMENT