The rules of the Railyard Housing Co-operative provide for seven (7) directors (Section 17.4). Currently, there are six (6) directors on the Board.

At the 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM), the first for Railyard, seven directors were elected on staggered terms of one and two years. The purpose of the differentiated terms is to stagger re-election and ensure that there is knowledge carry-over from year to year. At subsequent AGMs directors will be elected for two year terms, with exceptions made for mid-term replacements.

At the 2020 AGM four (4) directors will be elected: three (3) will be for a term of two years and one (1) will be for a term of one (1) year to fill the remaining term vacated by Brian Robertson.

• President (Filled)
• Vice President (Filled)
• Treasurer (Filled)
• Secretary (Filled)
• Webmaster (Filled)
• Member at Large (Filled x2, vacant x1)

The following position descriptions are included for information purposes only. They are not formally adopted policies or procedures. Being responsible means ensuring that something is done; responsibility does not mean carrying out all related tasks.

The webmaster extends, maintains, and troubleshoots the coop's website, Google Workspace, and Slack. The webmaster will use their technical skills to bring new ideas to the Board, and to execute new ways for coop volunteers to communicate digitally with prospective and existing coop members.

A strong technical background is highly valued. Your ultimate goal is to guarantee the seamless functionality of the web infrastructure.

This role is a great opportunity to improve your communication skills, and to find a sense of community in the coop.

Join the Board and contribute to maintaining high-quality online experiences for our coop community.

Responsibilities

• Set up and retire accounts for directors and committees, to allow the coop's volunteers to maintain proper access to online services.
• Attract new members to the coop by keeping the coop website functioning as web browsers and devices evolve.
• Debug web pages and fix broken links or images as needed.
• Maintain, configure, and troubleshoot the server.
• Advise the Board on how our online services could be used to achieve the Board's goals.
• Execute requests from the Board to improve our online services.

Required Skills

• A strong technical background.
• Good communication skills.

Preferred Skills

• Professional technical experience.
• Experience with using Wordpress.
• Experience with using cPanel.
• Experience with administrating a Google Workspace.
• Experience with administrating a Slack workspace.

The following content has not been reviewed and may be outdated!

Overview

The president unites the community by leading the Board of Directors, committees, members and staff to work together for the Co-op's goal—well-maintained, affordable housing and a strong community that values diversity. The president and vice-president work together as a team to carry out the president's responsibilities. They are usually signing officers. They decide together how to share the responsibilities. They review their responsibilities regularly to see that they are following the priorities set by the Board and members. Sharing the work will keep the job of president from becoming too difficult. Here is a list of regular responsibilities.

Education

The president and vice-president:

• See that education for the Board, staff, committees and general members is a top priority in the plan for each year.
• Meet with any new directors to bring them up to date and discuss their responsibilities.
• Explain rules, policies and Board decisions to members in terms that everyone can understand.

Meetings

The president and vice-president:

• Work with the staff and the corporate secretary to set the agenda of meetings.
• See that directors and members receive early information on all agenda items.
• Make sure that there is a report on the Board's activities at all general meetings.*Lead a review of the Board's performance before the election and share this evaluation with the new Board.

Representation

The president and vice-president make sure a director represents the Co-op to neighbourhood organizations.

Overview The treasurer is an officer of the Co-op and is appointed by the Board. The treasurer monitors the finances and makes sure that the co-op keeps proper financial records. The treasurer reports regularly to the Board and members and is usually a signing officer.

Responsibilities

The treasurer makes sure there is a clear presentation of:

• The annual budget to the members.
• The monthly financial statements to the Board.
• The audited financial statement to the Board and to the members at the annual general meeting.
• The Board’s recommendation of auditor to the annual members’ meeting.

The treasurer makes sure that:

• The Board has all the information it needs to make decisions on financial matters.
• The Co-op is following its rules and financial policies.
• The Co-op has an up-to-date set of financial records.

The treasurer reviews:

• The bookkeeping and internal financial controls of the Co-op. The treasurer should work with the bookkeeper, management company or staff to solve any problems that come up and to develop new procedures as they are needed.

Overview

The corporate secretary is one of the officers of the Co-op. The corporate secretary is sometimes called the secretary and is usually a signing officer. The secretary’s main duties deal with the corporate responsibilities of the Co-op, meetings and communication. If a co-op has management staff, a staff person usually carries out these tasks. However, the corporate secretary is responsible for making sure that they are done. Corporate responsibilities

The secretary is responsible for the records of the co-op and should check regularly to make sure that:

• The Co-op obeys government laws and its agreements with governments.
• The Co-op makes proper reports and files the notices that the governments require. This includes the Registrar of Companies and any relevant funding agency.
• The Co-op has an up-to-date record of rules and changes to the rules.
• The Co-op obeys its own rules, policies and procedures.
• The Co-op keeps the minute book up to date and in a safe place.
• The Co-op has all records it must keep by law.

Meetings

The secretary makes sure that:

• A quorum of members or directors is present before any decisions are made at a meeting.
• Members and directors receive proper notice of meetings.
• Only members move motions and vote.
• Minutes are taken at all meetings of the members and the Board, and that copies of the minutes are available as soon as possible.

Communication

The secretary makes sure that:

• members have up-to-date copies of rules, policies, procedures and committee job descriptions
• Co-op correspondence is handled promptly.

Some co-operatives expect the corporate secretary to take minutes at Board and members’ meetings. Other co-ops appoint another person as recording secretary.

Overview

Some co-ops appoint a recording secretary to assist the corporate secretary. The Board can appoint any member who has the necessary skills. Usually the recording secretary has the following responsibilities

• Record minutes at board and general meetings.
• Amend the minute book copy of minutes, rules, policies, reports and other documents if corrections are necessary.
• Help the corporate secretary with correspondence.

Limits

If the recording secretary is not a director, the recording secretary

• Does not take part in discussions at board meetings.
• Does not vote at board meetings.
• Has the same responsibility as directors to protect confidentiality. The recording secretary should sign a confidentiality agreement.

Overview

The chair makes meetings run smoothly. The chair is also responsible for making sure that members treat each other with respect during the meeting. Chairing meetings calls for skills.

The Board should appoint one or more members to chair members' meetings. If you do not have members with chairing experience, ask your federation to provide training for members who want to learn.

The chair should know and follow the Co-op's rules of order.

Before each meeting:

• Study all reports on each agenda item.
• Make sure that someone will record the minutes of the meeting.
• Check that a member will prepare and present each item on the agenda.

At each meeting:

• Call the meeting to order and ask the members to approve the agenda.
• Follow the agenda by keeping the speakers on topic.
• Explain clearly how each item will be discussed and decided. Most items need a simple majority to pass. However, rules and special resolutions need a higher level of support.
• Receive motions from the members and check that motions are clear.
• Invite everyone to give their opinion.
• Control the meeting so that some speakers do not take over the meeting.
• Sum up each discussion and decide if members are ready to vote.
• Make sure that everyone understands the decisions they have made.

Purpose

The PIP officer(s) will ensure that the co-op follows the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), its principles and the co-op’s personal information protection policy.

Job description

The PIP officer’s job is to:

1. Review the co-op’s policies and practices for dealing with personal information.

2. Make recommendations to help the co-op follow PIPA.

3. Provide information to members and the public about how the co-op protects personal information.

4. Handle complaints as outlined in the personal information complaint procedure.

The PIP officers:

5. Reports to the Board with periodic reports to the general meeting.

6. Serves for a term of one (1) year and is renewed annually by the Board.

Purpose

The Community Advisor will consult with the Board and the Membership Committee on strategies to build community within the membership.

Job description

The Community Advisor's job is to:

1. Liaise between the Board, COHO Coordinator and Membership Committee on pathways towards community development.

2. Advocate in the interests of members with concerns to do with varying abilities, socio-economic background, religions, gender and/or ethnicities.

3. Identify strategies to engage the Membership in developing the Vision, Mission and Values of the Co-op.