September 27
Transcription
September 27
Ferry Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Meeting Details: FAC: Date: Location: Time: Northern Sunshine Coast September 27, 2006 Town Centre Hotel, Powell River 1:00 p.m. Attendees: Committee Greg Aivazoff, Chair Ken Barton Jim Johnson Jane Cameron Ted Cooper Bill Cripps Brenda de Graag Jack Metcalf Denise Reinhart Matt Macey Barbara Price David Moore BC Ferries Captain Gordon Nettleton, Marine Superintendent Senior Captain Neil Keeper, Comox – Powell River Senior Captain Martin Doyle, Saltery Bay – Earls Cove Acting Sr Captain Michael Smit, Texada – Powell River Judy Cryer, Manager, Terminal Operations Gary Leitch, Manager, Stakeholder Relations Amar Johal, Director, Sales & Community Relations Roberta Chartier, Manager, Customer Care Centre Kristina Berg, Manager, Reservations Centre 1. Call to Order: 1:00 p.m. 2. Approval of Agenda: The agenda was approved with the addition of the following items: • promotions • public advertising 3. Presentations a. Public • Malaspina Coach Lines: Mr. Ali Ismail, President and Mr. Rick Wolfe Manager of Malaspina Coach Lines spoke on the impact of the recent enforcement of existing policies at Langdale Terminal. Mr. Ismail noted that the trip from Powell River to Vancouver involves two lengthy road trips. It is difficult to control the driving time associated with these two legs of the trip. To make the trip as efficient as possible for customers Malaspina needs the cooperation of BC Ferries. BC Ferries is not waiting at Langdale for the Malaspina bus which is late because the R7 ferry was late. There is a need to review the schedules. Two hours is not enough time on the Earls Cove to Langdale portion of the trip. Following a lengthy discussion of the details of the trip from Powell River to Langdale the following action was agreed: Action: BC Ferries (Amar Johal) will work with Malaspina Coach Lines over the next 30 days to work on a solution for all. Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee Meeting Date: September 27, 2006 Page 1 of 5 b. Operations Report • Captain Gordon Nettleton reported on Operations since the last meeting. His report is attached to these minutes. The following issues arose from the report: • A large Cavalcade of motor homes caused trouble for other members of the traveling public September 14th and 15th. The question was asked whether earlier public notice would have been possible. Part of the problem was insufficient information from the organizers of the event. The newspaper often receives notice too late to report. Matt Macey noted that the ferry report is on Jet FM radio. Action: BC Ferries (Pam Young) to ensure all radio stations and community TV receive service notices. • Brenda de Graag noted the need for another berth at Powell River so cruise ships and BC Ferries can tie up and still operate R18. • Jane Cameron asked why did safety incidents double on R17? Captain Keeper explained that the increase was caused by pre-existing medical conditions of customers rather than events on the ship. • Captain Nettleton explained the crewing levels associated with various licenses. Lower license levels result in very few customers being left behind. • Jack Metcalf enquired how the new ships are being financed. Gary Leitch explained that in general, 50% of the cost of new ships is being carried by internal cash flow (tariff, catering revenue, service fees) and 50% by borrowing on capital markets. The costs of new ships will be reflected in the price caps of the routes to which a new ship is deployed. 4. Minutes of Previous Meeting: a. Minutes of the meeting held on May 18 were approved and distributed on June 15, 2006. Denise Reinhart questioned the completeness of the minutes (item 6.g.). She wanted the following text added to the minutes: “Many committee members were strongly opposed to the notion of expiry dates for any discount program, and they urged the retention of transferable and meaningful discounts for all residents of Powell River/Texada Island and other ferry dependent communities.” Gary Leitch explained the process for approval of the minutes (approved by the Chair and the Marine Superintendent as soon as possible after the meeting; minutes are anecdotal not verbatim; minutes are not revisable after posting to the website). Following discussion, it was agreed that in the future the Chair would forward DRAFT Minutes to committee members for review within a short timeframe. Action: Chair will send DRAFT minutes to committee members. Members will review minutes within a time limit specified by the Chair. b. Review of Action Items: • Captain Nettleton will provide a more detailed explanation of the report of safety incidents on the routes. Completed in Operation report above. • The Chair of the committee, the Senior Master Route 17, and the Marine Superintendent will meet to compare statistics on the departure of the 08:10 sailing from Powell River with a view to explaining discrepancies in the reported OTP. Ongoing. • Captain Nettleton will direct ships and terminals to make announcements as required by policy. Completed. Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee Meeting Date: September 27, 2006 Page 2 of 5 • Gary Leitch will follow up to determine what happened to corporate response to petition completed by Texada residents. Completed. Letter from Board Chair acknowledging receipt of petition sent shortly after meeting. • Members of the committee to send their comments on the Coast Card to the Chair for collation and transmission to BC Ferries. No comment received by Chair. (Comment subsequently received from D. Reinhart) • Melanie Christensen will distribute updated membership list to the committee. Completed. 5. Correspondence: a. None received 6. New Business: a. Coast Card Update (prepaid discount tickets) • Amar Johal presented an update (attached) on the development of the Coast Card platform and associated products. Committee members observed that concerns raised by the committee seem to have been listened to. It was suggested that there needs to be a variety of ways of registering ownership of a coast card (in person, telephone, online etc.). Discussion of the prepaid discounts sparked a discussion of tariff equity and possible reform of the discount system. Brenda de Graag asked that: Action: Gary Leitch to report on what action if any the company proposes to take on discount rates after reviewing previous analytical work on this subject. Action: The Chair of the committee is directed to raise the issue of Tariff equity at the next meeting of FAC Chairs with BC Ferries executive. b. CRA Commuter Card (presentation attached) • Amar Johal reported on the Federal Government initiative to develop a program to allow tax credits for ‘monthly commuter passes’. BC Ferries will develop a product to meet federal requirements. This product will likely be presented on the Coast Card platform. David Moore suggested the province needs to consider a similar initiative. Action: BC Ferries will keep the committee advised as more information becomes available from the federal government c. 2nd Performance Term • Amar Johal advised (presentation attached) the committee that BC Ferries will file its report on the costs of service in the second performance term with the BC Ferry Commission on 30 September. He advised that BC Ferries would work with the FACs to assist them in determining what interventions they wished to make with respect to future service levels. Critical dates and roles of participants in the process of determining the service levels for the 2nd performance term were outlined. Action: BC Ferries will meet with all FACs between now and March 31 to assist FACs to articulate their service requirements for the next performance term. Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee Meeting Date: September 27, 2006 Page 3 of 5 d. Revised Terms of Reference • Gary Leitch presented revised terms of reference for FACs (attached). He asked members to comment through their Chair. The Chair and Gary would then work to customize the terms of reference for the Northern Sunshine Coast committee. Action: Committee members provide comments to the Chair on changes or additions they wish to see considered. e. Northern Vessel Update • f. Amar Johal presented an update on the status of the new northern vessels (attached). FAC Chair Meeting with BC Ferries’ Executive • Greg Aivazoff reported that the Chairs of all the Ferry Advisory Committees had met with David Hahn and other BC Ferries officials on September 22. Most chairs had also attended BC Ferries’ annual general meeting the day before. Mr. Aivazoff reported that the meeting was very positive and focused on the need for FACs, the communities and local governments to get prepared to participate in the discussions leading to the second performance term contract between BC Ferries and the provincial government. • Brenda de Graag advised the committee that Powell River council has authorized her to meet with MOT Minister Kevin Falcon and UBCM and request an increase in service fees to support the Powell River ferry routes. She would also discuss a ‘highway equivalency allowance’ with the Minister. g. Promotions • Denise Reinhart asked for clarification of the financial impact of various promotions (BC Lions, Powell River Salmon Kings) on BC Ferries and its customers. Amar Johal advised that the impact is intended to be positive, i.e. create more traffic and therefore greater overall revenue thus keeping individual fares as low as possible. The impact of individual promotions is evaluated from time to time to ensure the relationship is meeting the expectations of both parties. Specific information is unavailable at this time h. Public Advertising • Jane Cameron wondered why all FAC members were not published in the newspaper meeting notice. Action: Gary Leitch committed to publishing contact info for all in future meeting notices. 7. Next Meeting: Greg Aivazoff and Melanie Christensen to determine for April 2007 in Powell River. 8. Meeting adjourned: 4:10 p.m. Approved: Captain Gordon Nettleton Date: December 4, 2006 Greg Aivazoff, Chair Date: December 1, 2006 Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee Meeting Date: September 27, 2006 Page 4 of 5 Attachments: Operations Report Update on Coast Card Platform Canada Revenue Announcement (CRA) Commuter Card 2nd Performance Term Northern Update Draft Terms of Reference Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee Meeting Date: September 27, 2006 Page 5 of 5 Operations Report Northern Sunshine Coast Ferry Advisory Committee September 27, 2006 Table of Contents Safety Traffic Revenue Major Service Issues - On Time Performance Major Service Issues – Overloads Major Service issues – Cancelled Sailings Major Service Issues – Mechanical Breakdowns Action Items From Previous Meeting Corporate Update Questions Safety Level 0 An event reported but not considered safety related: minor illness or injury to passenger; minor damage to passenger’s or BC Ferries’ property; minor environmental damage; security incident with no safety component; first aid response; incident over which BC Ferries has no control; OR a near-miss incident that had: potential for minor injury or illness to passenger; potential minor damage to passenger’s or BC Ferries’ property; potential for minor environmental damage Level 1 Minor safety related incident: minor illness or injury to passenger; minor damage to passenger’s or BC Ferries’ property; minor environmental incident; minor security incident with safety component Safety Level 2 Significant incident: major injury to passenger; major damage to passenger’s or BC Ferries’ property; major environmental incident; major security incident with safety component; OR a near-miss incident that had: potential for major injury to passenger; potential for major damage to passenger’s or BC Ferries’ property; potential for major environmental damage; potential for major security incident Level 3 Major incident: death of an employee related to operations; death of a passenger related to operations; damage to company proprty or asset that has resulted in (or could have resulted in) serious injury, loss of life, or loss of the asset (eg. actual/potential collision/grounding) Safety Passenger Incidents – April to August 2006 Route # of Safety Incidents # of Passengers PM # of # of Safety Passengers Incidents April-August 2005 07 17 18 5 3 3 207,284 187,800 91,738 PM April-August 2006 0.24 0.16 0.33 4 8 2 203,961 191,606 90,801 Performance Measure (PM) = # of Safety Incidents per 10,000 passengers transported. 0.20 0.42 0.22 Traffic Route 7 YTD August 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 Total Vehicles Total Passengers 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Traffic Route 17 YTD August 60,000 50,000 40,000 Total Vehicles Total Passengers 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Traffic Route 18 YTD August 25,000 20,000 15,000 Total Vehicles Total Passengers 10,000 5,000 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Ap rJ u 03 nAu 03 gO 03 ct D 03 ec Fe 03 bAp 04 rJ u 04 nAu 04 gO 04 ct D 04 ec Fe 04 bAp 05 rJ u 05 nAu 05 gO 05 ct D 05 ec Fe 0 5 bAp 06 rJ u 06 nAu 06 g06 Traffic Route 7 Traffic 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 Total Vehicles Total Passengers Ap rJu 0 3 nAu 03 gO 03 ct D 03 ec Fe 03 bAp 04 rJu 0 4 nAu 04 gO 04 ct D 04 ec Fe 04 bAp 05 rJu 05 nAu 05 gO 05 ct D 05 ec Fe 05 bAp 06 rJu 06 nAu 06 g06 Traffic Route 17 Traffic 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 Total Vehicles Total Passengers Ap rJu 03 nAu 03 gO 03 ct D 03 ec Fe 0 3 bAp 04 rJu 0 4 nAu 04 gO 04 ct D 04 ec Fe 04 bAp 05 rJu 0 5 nAu 05 gO 05 ct D 05 ec Fe 0 5 bAp 06 rJu 06 nAu 06 g06 Traffic Route 18 Traffic 25,000 20,000 15,000 Total Vehicles Total Passengers 10,000 5,000 0 Traffic Year to Date April to August 2006 2005 2006 2005 2006 2005 Route Total Vehicles 7 95,321 96,935 78,641 76,623 43,224 44,309 17 18 Total Passengers 203,961 207,284 191,606 187,799 90,801 91,738 Revenue (Excerpt from: “Operations Summary Report for the Year Ended March 31, 2006” - BC Ferries 2005/06 Annual Report to the BC Ferry Commissioner) Route 7 17 18 A Actual Round Trips B Capacity Provided (AEQs) 2,881 1,446 3,654 712,586 555,264 358,092 Route 7 17 18 C AEQs Carried Fiscal 2006 206,610 178,968 104,250 D Capacity Utilization (C/B) 29% 32.2% 29.1% H Passengers Fiscal 2006 I Passengers Fiscal 2005 375,392 391,407 196,578 369,006 382,414 191,368 E AEQs Carried Fiscal 2005 200,334 171,388 102,557 J Passenger Growth (H-I) 6,386 8,993 5,210 F AEQ Growth (C-E) G AEQ Revenue Fiscal 2006 6,276 7,580 1,693 $ 2,993,142 4,209,248 513,817 K Passenger Revenue Fiscal 2006 $ 1,352,061 2,676,706 337,454 Major Service Issues On Time Performance NORTHERN ISLANDS - Route 7 05/06 Rt 7 % of Sailings Within 10 Mins of Scheduled Sailing Time 06/07 Rt 7 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Major Service Issues On Time Performance NORTHERN ISLANDS - Route 17 05/06 Rt 17 % of Sailings Within 10 Mins of Scheduled Sailing Time 06/07 Rt 17 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Major Service Issues On Time Performance NORTHERN ISLANDS - Route 18 05/06 Rt 18 % of Sailings Within 10 Mins of Scheduled Sailing Time 06/07 Rt 18 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Major Service Issues • Overloads % Overloaded Sailings Route April May June July August 7 17 18 2.58 3.75 0 1.02 0.81 0.8 0.42 0 0.34 3.63 2.44 2.71 4.84 6.45 0.96 Major Service Issues Cancelled Sailings – April to August 2006 April 4 April 0 April 0 May 0 Route 7 June July 0 0 Aug 0 TOTAL 4 May 0 Route 17 June July 2 2 Aug 0 TOTAL 4 May 0 Route 18 June July 6 0 Aug 0 TOTAL 6 Major Service Issues Mechanical Breakdowns Engineering Problems Affecting Sailings April to August 2006 Situation R7 R17 R18 Delays 10 minutes or greater Sailing cancels Terminal – berth closure Terminal – other problems Vessel – propulsion control Vessel – propulsion system Vessel – steering system Vessel – other problems Accumulated mechanical delays 6 2 14 3 0 3 0 2 90 5 4 0 0 0 6 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 5 Action Items From Previous Meeting Capt. Nettleton to provide a more detailed explanation of the reported safety incidents on the routes The Marine Superintendent, Senior Master & FAC Chair to meet to compare statistics on the departure (OTP) of the 8:10 am sailing from Powell River to Comox, with a view to explaining discrepancies in reported OTP Capt. Nettleton will direct ships & terminals to make announcements as required by policy Gary Leitch will follow up to see what has become of BC Ferries’ response to the Texada Island service petition FAC members to send their comments on Coast Card to the Chair for collating & forwarding to BC Ferries Melanie Christensen to circulate an updated membership list to the FAC members Corporate Update • Queen of the North Update • New Builds – Super C • New Build – Queen of Prince Rupert Replacement • New Intermediate Vessel • Hull 259 Questions License Levels Route 17 – Comox (Little River) Powell River (Westview) Route Distance: 17 nautical miles Crossing Time: 1 hour 20 minutes Queen of Burnaby Built: Victoria, 1965 Length: 129.9 m Gross Tons: 4902.59 Speed (knots): 16.5 Car Capacity: 192 Passenger & Crew Capacity: 684 Traffic Statistics – 2005/06 Vehicles: 161,394 Passengers: 391,407 License Levels Licence Pax Crew Total A 659 25 684 B 324 18 342 11 11 Transit only License Levels Route 17: Little River - Westview Trips per Licence - 2005/06 Number of one way trips “B” Licence 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 “A” Licence 659 97.92% 2.08% 100 200 Total One Way Trips (FY05/06) = 2,890 300 324 400 Num ber of Passengers 500 600 700 License Levels Number of Times Overloads Occurred Passenger Overloads - "B" Licence 20 10 0 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 YTD Fiscal Year Total One Way Trips (FY05/06) = 2,890 License Levels Number of Occurrances "A" Licence Crewed but Not Required 150 100 50 0 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 Fiscal Year 06/07 (est) Coast Card Platform • Coast Card is an intelligent service delivery platform (smart card based system) • Intelligence is not based in the card - back end systems have all of the intelligence • Provides an efficient delivery mechanism to put products into customers hands. Products Assured Loading Tickets Prepaid Discount Tickets Monthly Pass Product Ferry $ TBD Prepaid Discount Tickets Summary of Consultation March – June 2006 BC Ferries meets with 11 Ferry Advisory Committees specific to Pre-Paid Discount Tickets Committees provide feedback on features of proposed program Committees suggest extensions of program to provide different products Summary of Consultation Issues raised during discussion Potential introduction of expiry date on Prepaid Tickets (loss of unused trips) Non-transferability, particularly to cohabiting family members Privacy issues Group Travel Proposed Features of Pre-paid Discount Tickets Possible expiry date. Transferability – Coast Card Platform is designed to allow this feature. No community is forced to accept Pre-paid Discount Tickets Potential co-existence of plastic and paper media for a time Project is ‘piloted’ on a route with large number of commuters to test systems and uptake by users. Privacy protected as per current Privacy Legislation Loss protection IF registered Auto re-loading feature Proposed implementation Schedule & Process Further IT development work required – 6 months Market research on Pre-paid Discount Ticket usage and features – 6 months Route specific pilot project – who wants to volunteer to test system? – April (earliest– 2007) Remediate any issues identified – fall 2007 Roll out to other routes on a route by route basis as resources allow Conclusion Prepaid Discount Tickets Monthly Pass Product Canada Revenue Announcement Federal government announced a new transit tax credit as part of the May 2006 budget. Local ferry travel is included in the types of public transit that is covered under the credit. BC Ferries has been in discussions with the Department of Finance in Ottawa about how customers may benefit from this credit. BC Ferries is seeking more details from the federal government and will update customers and ferry advisory committees when more information is available. Canada Revenue – some details The new transit tax credit will apply to the cost of public transit passes effective July 1, 2006. The types of public transit that will be covered by the credit include travel by bus, streetcar, subway, commuter train, commuter bus and local ferry. Individuals making claims will be required to retain their receipts or monthly passes for tax verification purposes. As BC Ferries offers pre-paid discount tickets, not monthly passes, we are in discussions with CRA on how our customers can qualify for the credit. The federal budget proposed to allow individuals to claim a non-refundable tax credit of 15.25 percent for 2006 and 15.5 percent for subsequent years. Monthly Pass BC Ferries is currently developing a monthly pass product Additional legislative clarification from CRA required Expect pricing and features will be different than Prepaid Tickets Targeted to frequent high volume commuters 2nd Performance Term Second Performance Term The changes to the Second Performance Term is defined in the Coastal Ferry Act (CFA) and the Coastal Ferry Services Contract (CFSC) − As per the CFA, the British Columbia Ferries Commissioner (BC Ferry Commissioner) must determine the Price Cap (the amount that BC Ferries can charge for tariffs) for each route group − As per the CFSC, the Province must make a determination of the following: Establishment of core service levels to be provided on each route Establishment of Provincial service fees for each route − The next performance term (a 4 year period) begins April 1, 2008 and ends March 31, 2012 Key Dates and Roles of Participants Sept 30 2006 BC Ferries files a price cap submission with the BC Ferry Commissioner April 1 2007 BC Ferry Commissioner publishes preliminary report to the BC Government and BC Ferries indicating the price cap assuming current service fees and service levels BC Government determines changes to service fees and/or service levels, if any June 30 2007 BC Ferries provides report to the BC Ferry Commissioner indicating changes to either core service levels and service fees, if any Sept 30 2007 BC Ferry Commissioner issues final price cap for Performance Term 2 BC Ferries’ Role BC Ferries provide price cap submission to the BC Ferry Commissioner – September 30 − Estimate assumes the cost of delivering the same core service levels and service fees for the years 2008-2012 BC Ferries to hold FAC meetings to discuss the process and any changes communities would like to consider Your role Decide what is desirable from your perspective Discuss this with your community Reach consensus if possible Articulate your views to your MLA Share your views with BC Ferries and the BC Ferry Commissioner Process BC Ferries briefs FACs – fall 2006 BC Ferries meets with FACs (post September 30th) to discuss implications of any possible service changes and potential impact to service fees or tariff FACs articulate their views to the government & to the BC Ferry Commissioner Ferry Advisory Committee Terms of Reference Draft terms of reference Attempt to create a simple generic terms of reference BC Ferries recognizes the unique nature of each area Therefore expect feedback on how these may need to be modified to suit your situation Please advise gary.leitch@bcferries.com by Nov 30 for desired modifications Northern Vessel - Information In August BCF announces that a contract has been awarded to construct a new vessel to replace the Queen of Prince Rupert. This ship is expected to enter service in the spring of 2009. On September 18th BCF announces the purchase of the replacement vessel for the Queen of the North – MV Sonia − Vessel is 2 years old and currently in Spain − Cost for the MV Sonia $50,600,000 − Will be in service for the busy 2007 summer season Northern Vessel - Information Vessel will undergo $18,000,000 in extensive modifications this winter to improve customer amenities and meet safety requirements to operate in Canadian waters. Ship modification work to be undertaken includes: •Mechanical work on main engines and auxiliary systems •Hull painting •Change to Canadian registry •Modification to stern ramp to become compatible with BC Ferries’ docks •New lifejackets, fire hoses and monitoring cameras •Car deck upgrades to accommodate higher loading capacity •Expansion and reconfiguration of galley and food service area •New seating •Expansion of washrooms •Relocation and expansion of giftshop Northern Vessel - Information MV SONIA VESSEL SPECIFICATIONS: MV Sonia Year Build 2004 Gross Tonnage 9,925 Length Overall 117 metres Breadth 20 metres Depth 7.2 metres Maximum Draft 4.7 metres Engine Output # of Passengers # of Vehicles # of Cabins Speed Damage Stability 16,000 kW at 750 rpm 600+ 101 70 20.3 knots Two compartment Northern Vessel - Information Northern Vessel - Information Northern Vessel - Information Northern Vessel - Summary Queen of Price Rupert -refit 2007 Queen of Chilliwack MV Sonia – April 2007 New Build – 2009 Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) Draft Terms of Reference MANDATE • To represent residents of the community in a consultative relationship to BC Ferries. • To bring forward local ferry service issues identified by residents of the community to BC Ferries. • To provide feedback on local ferry service issues to residents of the community. • To advise BC Ferries, on behalf of residents of the community, on long-term planning issues for local ferry service in relation to community planning. • To advise BC Ferries, on behalf of residents of the community, on effective ways for BC Ferries to communicate local ferry service issues to residents of the community (e.g. the media, direct mail and public meetings, etc.) • To advise local residents of BC Ferries’ long term plans and priorities. FUNCTIONALITY Appointment • Members are appointed in cooperation with local communities. Representation • Members should represent customers and stakeholder interests (e.g. local governments, First Nations, students, seniors, commercial/economic interests, such as tourism, Chambers of Commerce and Ratepayers’ Associations, and other community groups and organizations). • BC Ferries reserves the right to directly solicit and appoint member(s) to represent interests it feels are not adequately represented on the committee. Term • Members serve for a term of three years. The terms are coincident with the terms of local governments. • Members who resign are requested to do so in writing to the Chair of the FAC and the Marine Superintendent with a copy to the Vice President, Corporate Relations. • A new member may be appointed by the Chair of the FAC to serve the remainder of the term of the member who has resigned. Responsibilities • The Marine Superintendent or his designate is responsible for the management and administration of the FAC process. • The Director, Sales and Community Relations or his delegate is the key support person to the Marine Superintendent in the management and administration of the FAC process. • Members are responsible for attending all committee meetings. • Members are responsible for representing the interests of their Official Community Plan in the discussion of local ferry service issues. • Members and BC Ferries will work collaboratively and seek constructive solutions for both the community and BC Ferries. Expectations • BC Ferries will provide the necessary background information for members’ consideration of local ferry service issues and to assist members in their response to questions. • BC Ferries will respond to FAC’s advice on local ferry service issues either by incorporating the input and/or by explaining in writing why the input was not incorporated. Ferry Advisory Committee – Terms of Reference Revised - December 7, 2006 Page 1 of 2 • All formal communications with BC Ferries should be directed to the Marine Superintendent with a copy to the Vice President, Corporate Relations and the Director, Sales and Community Relations. Structure • Each year the FAC nominates a chairperson to formally liaise with BC Ferries. Decision Making Process • The FAC ensures that ferry service issues are discussed thoroughly and all major points of view are represented and explored. General consensus is normally needed for the FAC to advise BC Ferries on a local ferry service issue. Subcommittees may be used to provide recommendations to the FAC on particular issues. Meeting Process • Notice of a meeting will be provided two weeks in advance. • The agenda for meetings is jointly set by the Chair of the FAC and the Marine Superintendent. The Chair may consult FAC members prior to setting the agenda. The agenda is finalized and adopted at the beginning of each meeting. • BC Ferries will take minutes of the meeting. Minutes are not verbatim, but rather, will record a summary of discussion, decisions and actions. Minutes are approved by the Marine Superintendent and the FAC Chair as soon as possible after the meeting. • FAC meetings may be made open to the public with proper public notification. Presentations from members of the public or representatives of organizations are welcome, provided such presentations have been scheduled with the Chair prior to the meeting. Presentations are made at the beginning of the meeting, are limited to five minutes each, and together take no more than 30 minutes at any one meeting. • The FAC meets at least two times a year, and may meet more often if required. • Meetings of subcommittees or of the full membership acting as a committee-of-the-whole will occur as needed. These meetings may include one or more staff from BC Ferries, depending on the issue being considered. Resources • BC Ferries will provide meeting materials and facilities. • BC Ferries will reimburse FAC members for pre-approved expenses incurred for regular FAC meetings. Travel and accommodation must be arranged by BC Ferries. • Expenses incurred outside of regular FAC meetings must be approved in advance by BC Ferries. • There is no remuneration to members for serving on the FAC. Ferry Advisory Committee – Terms of Reference Revised - December 7, 2006 Page 2 of 2