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BOARD BYLAW

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Date Approved & Effective: April 2023
Date Last Reviewed: April 2023
Review Date: 2028
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1 Title
This bylaw may be cited as The Chinook Regional Library Board Bylaw 2023.

2 Interpretation
“Act” The Public Libraries Act, 1996 (Saskatchewan), the provincial statute that provides for the
establishment of public libraries in the province.

“Board” The Chinook Regional Library Board as established under the provisions of the Act is a
governance board overseeing the Library. Accountability rests in the Board.

“Executive Committee” means the executive committee of the Board elected under the provisions of
the Act.

“Grant” refers to the amount that is invoiced to a municipality as their annual contribution to the
regional library under the Act.

“Library” Chinook Regional Library headquarters and its branches, permanent and temporary buildings,
grounds, and other spaces, including online spaces.

“Local Library Board” means the local library board appointed by municipal councils under the
provisions of the Act.

“Patron” Any person using the Library spaces or services.

“Person in charge” means the person in charge of a Library space at any given time or their delegate.

“Personnel” Chinook Regional Library’s permanent and temporary employees, Circulation Associates,
Casuals, security guards, contractors, consultants, Board, and volunteers employed by or working in
the Library.

“Regulations” The Public Libraries Regulations 1996, made under the Act.

“Trustee” means an appointed member of a local or regional library board who governs.

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3 Organization
(1) The organization is a corporation and shall be known as The Chinook Regional Library (CRL),
constituted under the Act and Regulations.

4 Regional Board membership

(1) Members of the regional library board shall be appointed in accordance with section 32 of the Act.

(2) Members of the regional library board shall serve on the board for a two-year term in accordance
with provisions in section 32 of the Act.

(3) A member of the regional library board may be appointed to represent more than one municipality.
The trustee would hold more than one seat on the regional library board and be empowered to
represent those municipalities and exercise two votes at Board meetings.

(4) Where a member of the regional library board resigns, passes away, or is no longer eligible to be a
trustee, the council of the municipality shall appoint a replacement to fill the vacancy at the local and
regional level for the remainder of the term.

(5) Where a regional board member is unable to attend a regular or special meeting of the board, the
official alternate is for that meeting the official representative of the council with all the duties and
responsibilities of a trustee.

(6) All Members of the Board are subject to the Code of Conduct for members of civic Boards, which
requires them to act honestly and in good faith in exercising the duties of their office to the best of
their abilities. They are expected:
a) To support the Chinook Regional Library System values and mission and adhere to the bylaws,
policies, and resolutions of the Chinook Regional Library Board.
b) To respect the jurisdiction of the Regional Board Chair.
c) To attend meetings of the Board as required by the Bylaws, to come fully prepared for all
meetings, to participate actively in the Board’s activities and to communicate with the
communities they represent by providing regular written reports to their councils.

(7) The Executive Committee/Board reserves the right to request that a municipality recall their
appointee and have an alternate fill the role.

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5 Meetings of the Regional Library Board

(1) The regional library board shall hold its annual meeting between January 1 and May 15 in each
year.

(2) The regional library board may hold other general meetings as deemed necessary.

(3) The secretary to the board shall give each member at least 10 days’ notice of every meeting.

(4) The chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the board and shall be an ex officio member of all
committees.

(5) In the absence of the chairperson, the vice-chairperson shall act as chairperson.

(6) A meeting can be in-person, virtual or hybrid.

6 Record of Meetings
(1) The agenda and minutes of all meetings shall be recorded and be maintained as a permanent
record at the Chinook Regional Library headquarters. These records shall be made available to any
member of the board who requests them.

(2) These records shall include:

a) All annual and special meetings of the Board.
b) All Executive meetings.
c) All meetings of standing or special committees of the Board or Executive.
d) All joint meetings between the Board or Executive and any local library board.
e) All reports from local library boards.

7 Regional Library Board Quorum

(1) A quorum for a meeting of the board shall be constituted by members representing one-third of the
participating municipalities.

(2) In the event of no quorum, each absent municipality shall be assessed a $300.00 absentee
surcharge.

8 Regional Library Board Vote

(1) At the twice-yearly meeting of all trustees, a majority vote of the members present is
necessary to carry a motion.

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(2) However, when the financial contribution of the participating municipalities is concerned, a
two-thirds majority of the members present is necessary for a motion to carry.

(3) Voting, in the case of election of officers, shall be by show of hands except where at least three members
request a ballot.

9 Library director as secretariat

(1) The library director shall attend all meetings and act as secretary to the regional library board and
all committees of the board as required by legislation.

10 Executive Committee
(1) Subject to section 33 of the Act, at its annual meeting, the board shall, from among its members
elect a chairperson and an executive to carry out the day-to-day business of the board and the
operation of the regional library.

(2) The executive shall consist of nine members: including the chairperson and the vice-chairperson,
three to represent the city, two to represent the towns, one to represent the villages, two to represent
the rural municipalities and Reserve communities, and one member at large.

(3) The chairperson shall have voting power.

(4) The executive is empowered to appoint a new executive member in the case of the death or
resignation of a current executive member.

(5) Any executive member who misses two consecutive meetings without cause shall be replaced.

(6) Executive meetings shall be held at the call of the chairperson. The date of the meeting may be
changed by common agreement of the members.

(7) The executive shall appoint any committees deemed necessary. The chairperson shall be an ex
officio member of all committees.

(8) Any member of the executive committee may bring forward a vote to the Executive as a whole.

11 Executive Committee Quorum

(1) A quorum for the meeting of the executive shall be constituted by 50% of the members.

(2) A meeting can be in-person, virtual or hybrid.

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(3) The executive committee will determine the need for an emergency meeting and use of alternative
voting strategies and meeting format procedures .

12 Library Director is employed by the Board.

(1) In addition to any duties that may be imposed on the library director pursuant to the Act, the
regulations, and the bylaws, the library director shall:
a) direct and supervise the staff of the regional library in the performance of their duties.
b) submit regular reports to the Executive Committee and the Board.
c) make recommendations to the executive
and the board respecting programs and procedures to provide effective library service
in the region; and
d) perform any other duties that may properly belong to the office or be delegated to the library
director by the Board as the employer.

13 Finance and Grants

(1) Subject to the Act and regulations, the regional board shall be financed by grants from the
Provincial Government and by grants made by each municipality in accordance with the Act and
regulations. The Board has the authority to approve the operating budget of the regional library and to
approve municipal grant obligations at a meeting of the board.

(2) For the purpose of calculating the annual municipal grant, the source of the population figure for
each municipality will be agreed upon using the latest Saskatchewan Municipal Directory. In the event
revised population figures become available from the Department of Municipal Affairs between
publications of the Saskatchewan Municipal Directory, the revised population figures will be the
population figures used to determine the annual municipal grant.

(3) Library grants are due upon receipt of the invoice. The grant to be paid by each participating
municipality shall be paid as follows:
a) The first instalment shall be equal to the second instalment of the previous year and shall
be paid by January 31 in each year; and
b) The balance of the grant shall be paid by July 31 in each year.

(4) Penalty: Where any grant remains unpaid after the end of the month in which the grant was due,
the board shall charge interest on the outstanding amount.

(5) This financial decision requires a two-thirds majority to carry.

a) A letter of notice will be sent to the offending municipality advising it of the board’s decision
and the date on which interest charges will begin.

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b) Interest shall be charged to and shall be paid by each municipality at the rate of 5% per month
on any grant or portion thereof which is unpaid.
c) Further action may be taken by the board that does not contravene the Act or regulations.

14 Library Facilities
(1) The Board, in accordance with the legislation may update agreements regarding community
libraries to ensure that the councils of participating municipalities shall:
a) ensure that accommodation for local libraries is provided in accordance with the regulations;
b) contribute financially an amount determined by the council for the provision and maintenance
of that accommodation.

(2) The councils of participating municipalities whose residents use a local library shall make decisions
regarding the local library and its location:
a) in consultation with the local library board and the regional library board; and
b) in accordance with any standards prescribed in the regulations.

15 Fees and Library Fines

(1) Subject to developed policies and direction of the regional library board or the executive
committee, local library boards may be authorized to charge fees for cost-recovery for those services
for which a library is entitled to collect a fee pursuant to section 22 of the Regulations.

(2) Any branch that is live on Saskatchewan Information and Library System (SILS) will abide by SILS
circulation policies, including those regarding overdue charges and fees.

(3) All such charges and fees are to be remitted to the Chinook Regional Library Headquarters no less
than once per month

16 Conflict of interest, Confidentiality and Code of Conduct

(1) The Board shall show integrity in governance of the Library as a public institution and as
representatives of their municipal councils.

(2) The Board, in accordance with current municipal legislation, LAFOIP, Non-profit Corporations
legislation and common law requirements, shall balance the need for public accountability with the
need to provide protection to board members.

(3) The Board has a duty to ensure that community and council members appointed to local and/or
regional board as trustees are aware of their rights and responsibilities: a fiduciary duty, the duty of
loyalty, the duty of care, and a duty of board solidarity.

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(4) The Board shall provide orientation and educational opportunities.

(5) As representatives of their communities:

a) All trustees shall sign a memorandum of understanding when appointed regarding conflict of
interest, confidentiality and a code of conduct as defined in the Chinook Regional Library Safe
Use Bylaw and aligned policies.
b) All trustees shall declare any conflict of interest (whether real, potential, or perceived) and
absent themselves from voting on such issues. Such a declaration, and any abstention from
voting, shall be recorded in the minutes along with the reason for the conflict.

(6) Members of Chinook staff cannot be voting members of the Regional board, nor of any local board.

(7) Members of the Board shall be governed by the CRL Safe Use and Conduct Bylaw.

16 Power to Enact Bylaws

(1) Subject to the Act and the Regulations, the regional library board may enact a bylaw relating to any
matter within its jurisdiction and authority and every such bylaw takes precedence over any matters
that are contained in policies of the board.

(2) Where there is a conflict between two bylaws, the regional library bylaw or amendment to the
bylaw that was last approved is deemed to have repealed the earlier to the extent of the conflict.

(3) A public library board may make bylaws respecting:

a) the safety and use of the Library spaces,
b) the admission of the public to Library spaces; and
c) all other matters connected with the management of the Library .

(4) A public library bylaw has no effect and is not binding on any person until a copy of the bylaw,
certified by the chairperson of the public library board, is posted in a conspicuous place in the Library.

(5) No person shall contravene a public library bylaw.

(6) Every person who contravenes a public library bylaw is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary
conviction to a fine of not more than $5000.

(7) An amendment to any bylaw may be proposed at any meeting of the regional library board but is
effective only after a favorable vote at a subsequent meeting of the board following a minimum 10
days’ notice of intent to each participating municipality and their Board representative.

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