General Job Responsibility

Municipal Clerk shall be responsible for carrying out the statutory duties of Municipal Clerk according the Municipal Government Act and other provincial legislation, coordinates and schedules Council and other standing committee meetings, oversees municipal conflict of interest records, acts as Returning Officer for all municipal elections and plebiscites, develops and maintains both a paper-based and electronic records management system, provides administrative support to Warden and Council, prepares a monthly staff accountability report, develops and offer a council orientation program, participates in emergency management planning and meetings, and prepares reports and presentations when required. This job description is a general outline of duties and responsibilities and is not meant to limit the employee's initiative to expand or increase their work output subject to approval by their supervisor.

Accountability

This position reports directly to the Director of Corporate Services.

Specific Job Responsibilities

1. Carries out the statutory duties of Municipal Clerk as outlined in Section 33 of the Municipal Government Act of Nova Scotia.

2. Responsible for the organization, preparation, scheduling of all Council, Committee of the Whole, Planning Advisory Committee meetings, as well as other future assigned standing committees, ensuring that agendas are prepared and circulated in advance of the meetings, minutes are taken, transcribed and distributed in a timely manner after each meeting, posted on the Municipality's website, and consolidated into a book open to the public for viewing at all reasonable times.

3. Designates and maintains a municipal record available for public viewing at all reasonable times of all declarations of interest pursuant to Section 7 of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act of Nova Scotia that are disclosed, ensuring that all Council Members declarations are accurately recorded in the approved minutes.

4. Facilitates and oversees the conduct of all municipal elections, special elections and plebiscites according to Section 4 of the Municipal Elections Act of Nova Scotia as the designated Returning Officer for the Municipality, ensuring that legislated timelines, advertising and procedures are followed, required employees are hired, materials and supplies are available, and that all elections are carried out fairly and without bias.

5. Oversees the maintenance of a comprehensive municipal records management system that clearly articulates the cataloguing and keeping of all municipal records including paper and electronic, with defined policies and process for the eventual destruction of non-permanent records,

6. Oversees the development of an electronic records management system, developing meta data fields, designating municipal staff that will be required to use the system and populate it with their records on an ongoing basis, developing a plan for scanning and entering historic records into the system, preparing training materials for all staff on its use and access, and budgeting the required resources to maintain it each year thereafter.

7. Provides daily administrative support to the Warden and Council Members respecting the preparation of correspondence, scheduling of key appointments, bringing awareness to important community milestones, coordinates meetings with external persons that Council or Warden wish to meet with, and facilitates council presentations as authorized by the Warden.

8. Prepares a monthly staff accountability report for Council of previous directions and approved motions of Council, along with updates from the relevant staff member to ensure transparent tracking of Council directions, removing issues once they are fully completed.

9. Develops and offers a new councillor orientation program after the swearing-in of each new Council every four years, or individually for Councillors elected in a special election, reviewing municipal policies and bylaws, provincial legislation, rules of order, meeting dates and time, technology requirements, budgeting process, introductions of municipal staff, and awareness of all municipal programs, services, and infrastructure.

10. Serves as the custodian and coordinator of official Municipal records in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Government Act and municipal policies and bylaws, certifying documents when required, and acting as a municipal signing officer for all contracts, deeds and legal agreements,

11. Cooperates with Regional Emergency Management Coordinator as the direct link between EMO, Warden and Municipal Council, coordinating briefings and updates for Council, and assists Chief Administrative Officer with operational needs during any potential or actual emergency.

12. Triages all public comments, complaints, requests for information, and requests for meetings with Warden and Council, determining if the issue is within the legislative authority of the Municipality and through discussions with the Warden determines the Municipality's response and if the matter is to be forwarded to another government department or agency.

13. Conducts research on various municipal and community matters, especially in other municipal jurisdictions, when requested by the Warden or Director of Corporate Services to help better inform Council decision making.

14. Prepares reports and presentations for the Warden, Council, and Director of Corporate Services on various topics and issues during the year as requested.

15. Other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned from time to time by the Director of Corporate Services.

Qualifications and Expectations

Candidates for this position must possess as a minimum, an undergraduate degree in business, public administration, records management, National Advanced Certificate in Local Authority Administration, or a similar educational program, or a combination of these educational requirements and lived experiences that meet requirements.

Additionally, the candidate must have a minimum of five (5) years experience working in a records management or public sector organization that provided significant experience with government agencies, document management and collaboration with elected officials, with preference given to those whose experience is directly or indirectly working with a municipal government organization, or a combination of formal experience and lived experiences.

Due to the nature of this position, the employee must have exceptional reading, writing, and working knowledge of the principles and practices of modern public administration including rules of order, have a positive past working relationship with all staff, Council Members and the general public, be fluent with Microsoft Office, and comfortable working in a fast-paced work environment, often with short timelines and high political and social media attention. This position will occasionally require work outside of normal office hours including evenings and weekends.