Minutes

Audit Committee

The Corporation of the City of Brampton

-
Council Chambers - 4th Floor, City Hall - Webex Electronic Meeting
Members Present:
  • Regional Councillor M. Medeiros
  • Regional Councillor R. Santos
  • Regional Councillor G. Dhillon
  • City Councillor J. Bowman
  • City Councillor H. Singh
  • Iqbal Ali,
  • Rishi Jain
  • Abid Zaman
Members Absent:
  • Regional Councillor M. Palleschi
  • City Councillor D. Whillans
Staff Present:
  • David Barrick, Chief Administrative Officer
  • Richard Gervais, Acting Director, Internal Audit
  • Sameer Akhtar, City Solicitor
  • Peter Fay, City Clerk
  • Charlotte Gravlev, Deputy City Clerk
  • Sonya Pacheco, Legislative Coordinator

Note: In consideration of the current COVID-19 public health orders prohibiting large public gatherings of people and requirements for physical distancing between persons, in-person attendance at this Special Audit Committee meeting was limited to Members of Council and essential City staff only. Physical distancing was maintained in Council Chambers at all times during the meeting.

The meeting was called to order at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 10:41 a.m.

As this Special meeting of the Audit Committee was conducted with electronic participation by the Members, the meeting started with the City Clerk calling the roll for attendance at the meeting, as follows:

Members present during roll call: Councillor Medeiros, Councillor Santos, Councillor Dhillon, Councillor Bowman, Councillor Singh, Abid Zaman, Iqbal Ali, Rishi Jain

Members absent: Councillor Palleschi (personal), Councillor Whillans (other municipal business)

Other Council Members present: Councillor Fortini

The following motion was considered.

  • AU018-2021

    That the agenda for the Special Audit Committee Meeting of June 15, 2021 be approved as published and circulated.

    Carried

Nil

Committee discussion took place with respect to the hiring process for the Director of Internal Audit and included the following:

  • Authority of the Audit Committee, as outlined in the Audit Charter (March 2019), relating to the Chief Audit Executive (CAE) position, including the appointment, dismissal, performance review and remuneration
    • Indication that the language in the Audit Charter is ambiguous and there is a need for clarification on the role of the Audit Committee and CAO in the hiring of the CAE / Director of Internal Audit
  • Indication that the Director of Internal Audit reports functionally to the Audit Committee and administratively to the CAO
  • Provisions in the Municipal Act regarding the CAO's responsibility for the management of the City, and potential conflict with the Audit Charter as it relates to the hiring of the Director of Internal Audit
  • Previous recruitment process for the Director of Internal Audit
  • Suggestion to establish a sub-committee of the Audit Committee to work with the CAO on the recruitment process 
  • Suggestion that the recruitment process be clarified and documented for future reference, and that a legal opinion be obtained
  • Clarification regarding Council's position on the Auditor General Model, and confirmation that this model is not being considered at this time
  • Information regarding the hybrid Auditor General Model in the City of Hamilton
  • Indication that the Audit Charter conforms to the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing 

The following motion was introduced:

That staff be directed to clarify and report back on a process and timeline for the hire of a Director of Internal Audit, with consideration of alignment with the Municipal Act and the Internal Audit Charter (2019).

Further Committee discussion included the following:

  • Active recruitment for an Internal Audit Manager
  • Questions as to whether Audit Committee citizen members can participate in the hiring process for the Director of Internal Audit

A motion to refer the following motion to the June 16, 2021 Council meeting was introduced:

That staff be directed to clarify and report back on a process and timeline for the hire of a Director of Internal Audit, with consideration of alignment with the Municipal Act, the Internal Audit Charter (2019), and Legal and Human Resource advice on the inclusion of Audit Committee Citizen Members within the hiring process.

The following amendments to the motion were introduced and accepted by the mover:

  • To add the words "and reference to previous Director of Internal Audit hiring processes employed".
  • To add the words "and consideration for the establishment of a sub-committee.”

The motion, in its entirety, was considered as follows.

  • AU019-2021

    That the following motion be referred to the June 16, 2021 meeting of Council.

    "Moved by Councillor Santos

    That staff be directed to clarify and report back on a process and timeline for the hire of a Director of Internal Audit, with consideration of alignment with the Municipal Act, the Internal Audit Charter (2019), and Legal and Human Resource advice on the inclusion of Audit Committee Citizen Members within the hiring process, and reference to previous Director of Internal Audit hiring processes employed, and consideration for the establishment of a sub-committee.”

    Carried

The public was given the opportunity to submit questions via e-mail to the City Clerk’s Office regarding any decisions made at this meeting. P. Fay, City Clerk, confirmed that no questions were submitted regarding decisions made at this meeting.

The following motion was considered.

  • AU020-2021

    That the Audit Committee do now adjourn to meet again on Wednesday, September 28, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. or at the call of the Chair.

    Carried
No Item Selected