Saskatoon committee to discuss non-resident board members for Remai Modern, $250,000 for VIDOlab

Saskatoon's governance and priorities committee is meeting on a number of issues on Tuesday, including potentially allowing non-resident board members for organizations such as Remai Modern, TCU Place and Sasktel Centre.

However, city administration is recommending non-resident members not be allowed to vote on the organizations'budgets.

City administration said the issue was raised by the Remai Modern as it wanted to include the appointment of board members from outside the city or province. No other gallery governance models explicitly restrict boards to local residents, city administration said in a report.

Administration says maintaining the residency requirement is consistent with other controlled corporation boards, such as TCU Place and Sasktel Centre. Keeping itprovides recognition that city assets and decisions should be made by city residents and minimizes the cost of paying expenses for out of town members.

However, the requirement provides less flexibility and may affect the ability to recruit people.

As a result, administration recommends allowing for two members of the corporation's boards to be non-residents of Saskatoon. This would give flexibility to corporations, help with recruitment and still ensure amajority of each board areresidents of Saskatoon.

By limiting a non-resident board member's right to vote, it creates a two tiered board contrary to good governance.- Shoshanna Paul, Remai Modern governance committee chair

"Non-resident members could be prevented from voting on the budget to prevent concerns regarding use of taxpayer funds," the administration said. "This practice is consistent with that of other art galleries."

However, Shoshanna Paul, chair of the Remai Modern governance committee, disagrees with the proposal and said in her written delegation that non-resident board members should have equal rights to participate. She worries the caveatmay discourage strong applicants.

"Each board member is equal in terms of their rights to vote on decisions dealing with the overall operation of the Remai Modern. By limiting a non-resident board member's right to vote, it creates a two-tiered board contrary to good governance," Paul said.

Proposed $250,000 to Saskatoon VIDO laboratory

The committee is also set to discuss giving $250,000 to the University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) for the construction of a research lab.

The labwould be a classified acontainment level 4 to help with vaccine research and be called the "Canadian Centre of Pandemic Research." VIDO is requesting money from the city, provincial government, federal government and private sector for the $60 million project.

"The SARS COV-2 pandemic, more commonly known as COVID-19, has shone a bright spotlight on the need for readily available vaccines," city administration said.

VIDO is currently working on a COVID-19 vaccine in phase one of clinical trials and building a manufacturing facility that has the potential to produce up to 40 million vaccine doses per year with construction expected to be completed in late 2021.